


What if?

by LightBlueFlower



Series: Of Love and Growing Up [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Character Development, F/F, F/M, FACE Family, Family Drama, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Personal Growth, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-18
Updated: 2018-05-05
Packaged: 2018-10-20 16:35:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 155,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10666572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightBlueFlower/pseuds/LightBlueFlower
Summary: Matthew Bonnefoy-Kirkland has just been accepted to attend Roma's International Academy. Along with his brother, Alfred he plans on making the most out of the next four years, and try his best to ignore his parent's separation, that leads to:1. His Papa's depression and 2. his Dad being a teacher at the academy. Adding to the fact that people mostly know your outgoing brother and you are often mistaken for him, one would go insane!At least, that was what he thought during the first few classes of his first day - until he met Gilbert Beilschmidst, the older German student who sits beside him in his Math Class. Strictly being classmates doesn't work out at first, and soon an interesting friendship spawns between them, despite the distaste that surrounds their relationship.But all actions have consequences, and meeting and befriending Gilbert may have catapulted Matthew down a spiral of family drama, romantic endeavor, and friendly feuds. All this while trying to keep his grades up, Matthew is going to have to grow up to be able get through the year in one piece.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey readers! So, I posted this story a long time ago on FF.net, and I decided to also start writing on AO3. I'll be posting the chapters I've written so far with a few days intervals. This is, I guess, my first story on AO3, and my first actual story in general so please treat it kindly, but don't hesitate to leave criticism as you see fit!  
> This also goes hand in hand with the FrUk and Ameripan stories I will soon be posting. So, if this interests you and you wish to keep reading then your support would be grateful! Thank you for clicking on this story and I hope you enjoy this tale!

**Prologue**

He opened both of his lavender eyes tiredly as he heard the sounds of yelling from outside his and his brother's room. He forced himself to look at the digital clock, and through the darkness he was able to make out the numbers 3:00, glowing red on the nightstand beside him. Slowly sitting up, the boy can hear a few more yelling.

"You are so bloody stupid, you know that? You were playing with me and I fell for it! I actually fell for it!" The boy was now curious as to what the yelling was about, and he slowly crawled off his bed, trying his best not to wake up his brother, who was sleeping beside him. Unfortunately, his brother noticed the lack of another body heat beside him, and he also woke up.

"M-Mattie? Where ya going?" mumbled the boy's brother, tiredly, followed by a yawn.

"Alfred!" Matthew quickly shushed his brother, and slowly opened their bedroom door, a streak of light entering their room. Although Alfred stared at him blankly, curiousity appeared on his face, and got out of the bed, tiptoeing quietly up to his brother. He peered beside him, looking through the crack that was open, perking his ears so he can listen too. Matthew scrunched up his face, doing the same. The more the two listened, they realise it was both their parents who were yelling at each other. Matthew knew that his parents tend to bicker and voices tend to be loud, yet, there was something unpleasant about the tone of their voice.

"No and it was wrong to lie to you," they heard their father, Francis, said. "I am sorry. But, don't go."

"Don't go?" whispered a confused Alfred. "What does he mean by that?"

"I don't know!" Matthew said (whispered) back. "I just woke up to the yelling right now."

The boys continued to listen attentively to the door. They couldn't make out the words, since it sounded like they were muttering.

"F-Francis, let go," they heard their other father, Arthur, said to them. Matthew couldn't help but notice how he sounded like he was in some sort of pain. There was no response from Francis. There was another plea to let go, and once again, no response.

"Please, let go of me! It hurts! You're hurting me!" They heard Arthur cried, this time with more pain in his voice. Matthew and Alfred looked at each other uncertainly, before they heard the sound of glass crashing, and things hitting the wall in the room right beside theirs; their parents' room.

"Don't touch me!"

"A-Alfred," Matthew whispered, not liking the sounds and the yelling. "I think we should go see what's wrong."

Alfred looked at him, and just looked at him shockingly. "Matthew, I don't think we should…"

"Please?" Matthew pleaded, sounding like he was about to cry. Alfred couldn't bear to see his brother that way, and gave in scarcely.

"…Alright."

They both started to walk quietly to their parents' room, where Alfred peeked in first, and Matthew was right behind him. They found Arthur, crying and throwing random bottles at Francis, who was doing his best to avoid them.

"I'm sorry, Arthur. I didn't mean to hold you that tightly…" Francis said, as he dodged the items.

"That's what you always say! Now look at when you don't mean to do anything!" Matthew was sure that his parents' were going to go on, and was about to retreat by taking a few steps back.

However, Arthur noticed the creaking of the floorboard, and looked at the direction of the door. Francis, in turn, turned around to see them.

"Dad?" Alfred asked, his voice shaking. Matthew let out a small whimper, as if he was trying to tell Alfred he shouldn't be talking. "What's going on?"

"Alfred. Mathieu. It's nothing-"

"Boys. Go pack your things." Alfred and Matthew looked at one another confusingly.

"W-What? Why…" "Do not ask questions! Just pack your clothes and other necessities right now!" At that moment, Alfred must have known they would be done for, so he grabbed Matthew's arm and scurried away to their room.

"A-Al?" Matthew asked, as Alfred closed the door, and he opened their closet.

"You heard what Dad said, Matthew." Alfred said quickly, as he took out a bag. He shoved his clothing in there. "We…have to pack our things."

"What? B-But why…"

"Matthew, just do it!" Matthew just stared at Alfred, his eyes big. He could see a mixture of terror and confusion in Alfred's eyes, as if he didn't want to go against what his Dad just said. He was just as much lost as Matthew is.

"O-Okay," Matthew whispered, and went to grab his things. Once he did, he noticed how his pet was on the floor, looking at the brothers confusingly. Not wanting to leave him, he just picked him up in his arms. The puppy let out a small growl in confusion.

"It's okay. I'm Matthew, remember?" Matthew whispered into the mutt's fur. Their Dad (Arthur) appeared in their room with his bag and violin case.

"Come along, now," he said, his voice was as cold as ice. They made their way in silence into the car, and Arthur locked the door behind them. He soon sat in the driver's seat, and started the car. He reversed the car, and they started to drive down the road.

Both Matthew and Alfred still had no idea what was going on. But, for one thing for sure, they didn't see their Papa (Francis) for a few more weeks. And their parents' had a thing called, a 'separation'.


	2. The Acceptance Letter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to say quickly that if you read past the prologue and decided to continue, then I'm truly grateful that you're interested!
> 
> The only other language I could write in this story is French, so I'm going to exploit this skill and involve it in this story. Translation will be written beside the sentences in bold between these <>
> 
> Another small chapter, but it's a quick way to set up the place where the story will mostly take place.

"Oh my god!" was the first words that flew out of the now thirteen-years-old mouth when he first saw the letter in the mailbox that stood right next to the front door.

The letter was addressed towards Matthew W. Kirkland (which was him, obviously), and was from one of the high schools that Matthew really wanted to get in. It was no ordinary high school, however. It was from the international high school Matthew tried to join: Roma's International Academy!

Roma's International Academy (R.I.A)… a well-known world-wide boarding high school. It is said that this prestigious school that is also a feeder school to the top post secondary education both in this country and internationally. They only accepts those with a total average of 95% on the entrance exams…or simply accepts the tuition fees for those not on scholarships, which can go up to $50 000 (or more). Of course, most would aim for the scholarship since it's better than paying a big chunk of money per year. They also offer different scholarships also, like sports scholarships, art scholarships, etc.

In Matthew's case, he has decided to try to get an Academic Scholarship. He has a pretty good chance of getting accepted, since he excels in both academics and sports. It's also a good distance from his house, since all he has to do is take a few buses and he'll be able to get to school in no time. Those who live further away (city or country-wise) are allowed to stay in the dorm that the school offers. This is the only international (and academic) high school that is near both him and his brother, Alfred.

Quickly, taking all the mail out of the box, Matthew escaped the chilly February morning wind into the warmth of his house. He quietly closed the door shut, not wanting to wake his father up, and took off his shoes and socks quietly before entering the main hall. He walked quietly and quickly towards the kitchen, placing all the bills and newspapers on the dining table, and plopping himself on one of the wooden chairs.

He looked at the letter with a mixture of excitement and frightening in his eyes. He's excited to see the results, but he's also scared that he didn't get in. Or, what's worse, he got in and Alfred didn't!

It took a minute for Matthew to finally work up the guts to open the letter…that is, it was then when he worked up the guts that a certain pet polar bear decided that the letter was a snack.

"Kumaj-" Matthew began, but stopped immediately, when realising that he doesn't remember his pet’s name. It was on the tip of his tongue, but he can't seem to say it. "Kuma...? Kuma-a-a….Whatever! Kuma, give that back! That letter is really important!" Matthew tried tackling the bear, but the little cub was able to avoid getting captured. Kumajiro (the polar bear) looked at Matthew with wide eyes and a confused look.

"You know dang well who I am! Now, give it back!" Matthew yelled, attempting to capture the bear looking pet. After two tries, Matthew finally got the (now soggy) letter out of Kuma’s mouth.

Looking at it in disgust, Matthew slowly opened the letter, making sure that he wasn't touching the bear's saliva. Somehow, the letter wasn't drenched or wet. Sitting down on the cold, marble floor, Matthew started to read the letter, skimming through it at first, and then reading slowly, making sure he read each line correctly.

He stared at the letter blankly, letting his wavy, blonde hair fall in front of his face. He suddenly heard footsteps walking down the staircases that led to the second floor, and halting at the entrance of the kitchen.

"Bon matin," said a voice with a thick French-accent. Matthew looked up to see a tall, lean man with fair skin, leaning on the door-way leading to the kitchen. The man has the same wavy blonde hair that Matthew has, but his is pulled back in a low ponytail. He seemed to have just woken up, and was still from his clothes from his night-shift at the bar. His shirt and pants were worn-out, and had many creases. He still had a pin on the left side of his shirt, with the name Francis Bonnefoy, carved into it. The man raises his right hand, and placed it on his chin. "Tu faisais beaucoup du bruit."

" **Ah, Papa! Salut!** _< Ah, Papa! Hi!>_" Matthew exclaimed, picking himself off the ground. He quickly dusted himself. " **Je m'excuse. Est-ce je t'ai réveillé?**   _< I'm sorry. Did I wake you up?>_"

" **Ouais, mais c'est correct. Qu'est-ce que c'est ça dans ta main?**   _< Yeah, but it's alright. What that in your hand?>_"

" **C'est just une lettre. Elle a été envoyé par une école secondaire! Er, est-ce que c'est d'accord si je téléphone Dad et Alfred maintenant? _<_** _It's just a letter. It was send from a secondary school! Um, is it okay if I can call Dad and Alfred? > _You can read the letter now if you want!"

"Go ahead," he replied, moving out of Matthew's way. As Matthew called his Dad, Francis walked towards the kitchen counter, picking up a lost polar bear cub from the floor. Francis held the letter in one hand, and started to scan through it quickly. He finished by smiling to himself.

"Hello, Dad?" Said Matthew from the hallway. "No, wait, Alfred? ….Yeah, I'm SO sorry for waking you up at 9 in the morning…No, I'm not seriously sorry….Okay, calm down. I was just wondering, but did you receive any mail addressed to you? ….No? Can you check your mailbox? …C'mon Alfred, please? Can you also open it, too? …Why? Oh, well because I got a letter from R.I.A, and guess what? …Okay, okay, I'll let you open your letter first…So? ….You got in?! Oh, that's wonderful! I got accepted to the scholarship too! I guess we can finally go to the same school again!"

 


	3. The First Day

Looking at himself in the mirror, Matthew slowly tried to fix his black tie. Today was the day. It's the dreaded day for students to go back to school! This, in other words, also means the first day of high school for Matthew.

After fixing his tie, Matthew quickly started tucking in his shirt, making sure his uniform is in order. Soon after his letter of acceptance, Matthew had to send in his measurements so the academy can prepare his uniform. Originally, new students would be receiving their uniforms when they first get their dorm room assigned. The uniforms would be prepared and set in the closet in their rooms.

In both Matthew's and his brother's, Alfred's, case, they received their uniforms early on, since they lived near the schools, and their Dad was able to pick it up, since he works as a teacher there.

Matthew stared at his reflection for a bit, before letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Aah," he said, slouching slightly. "Why am I worrying too much about this? It's just school."

After double-checking to make sure his uniform is presentable, Matthew picked up his bag, and silently made his way downstairs. He made sure not to make a lot of noise when he started to prepare pancakes for himself and Kumajirou. He didn't want to wake up his _Papa_ , especially since he had 10 hours shift the previous night at the bar he worked at.

Eating his pancakes quickly, and washing his dish, he fished out his cell phone out of his pocket. He checked the time, which beared the time _7:30_. During the previous day, Matthew made plans with Alfred over the phone on when they would meet up, to take the public transit together. Since it would take them around 10 minutes to walk to the nearest bus stop, and 30 minutes to take the bus to get to the academy, they figured that they could make it to the Year 1 orientation that started at 8:30 if they left the house at 7:30.

Matthew clicked on his brother's speed-dial number and waited. By the sixth ring, Alfred decided to pick up the phone.

"Who the hell are ya, and why are you calling this early?" said a snappy voice, and was followed by a loud yawn. Matthew sighed in disappointment.

"Hey Alfred. It's Matthew," he replied quietly to the voice.

"O-oh, hey dude! Why are you calling so early?"

"Alfred, do you know what today is?"

"…It's a Tuesday, right? Am I riiiiight, bro?"

"Yes, you're right Alfred. But, today is also the first day of school."

"Oh, yeah…Wait, WHAT?!"

"We were supposed to meet up at the bus stop. Does that ring any bells?"

"Uh, what time is it dude?"

"Um, 7:30. And, I was just calling to tell you that I'm on my-" Matthew was disturbed by a sudden loud thud from the opposite line. "U-Uh, hello? Alfred?"

"WHOAH, WHAT?" Alfred yelled into the receiver, making Matthew almost go deaf. "IS IT THAT TIME ALREADY? SHIT! Hey, Mattie, thanks for calling! I totally forgot bro! I meant to set my alarm clock, I forgot to! I'm sorry man! But, I promise to get to the bus stop by ten minutes! You can count on me, Mattie! Later dude!"

"W-What? O-Oh, okay then. Bye." By the time Matthew finished his line, his brother already hung up on him, leaving Matthew hanging. Matthew sighed again, and walked towards the door. He slowly put on his socks and shoes, and left without saying another word.

 _Typical Alfred,_ Matthew thought to himself as started to walk on the sidewalk. _He's still as bad at waking up in the morning._

It hasn't been long since the brothers have seen each other, but it has been around 2 years since they went to school together. Ever since their parent's separation when they were 12, they had to split up between the two. Matthew lives with their _Papa_ , Francis, while Alfred lives with their Dad, Arthur Kirkland. Since Matthew was in a French Program, and Alfred remained in the regular program, they had to go to different schools, since Alfred's school is different.

Of course, when they were younger, Matthew was always up bright and early (although, he hated being woken up, like his brother), while Alfred just slept in until the last minute. It seemed to Matthew that he's going to have to return to their system when they were younger, but instead, Matthew would have to call him every day.

* * *

"Finally! Is it just me, or does the school look bigger than before?"

"I think it's just you."

Matthew and Alfred were able to make it to the academy early, as originally planned. They made it with an extra 20 minutes to spare. They were in the main foyer at the moment. Right where the foyer is, there are doors on the wall, leading to what seems to the auditorium they were supposed to enter. There were two long white tables, with short lineups.

"What's this for?" Alfred asked.

"I'm pretty sure that that's where we have to register," Matthew replied, looking up and down the row. "It's funny, but it doesn't seem like a lot of students are here…I was expecting more."

"Of course not, this school is for the rich and privileged after all!" said a lively voice behind the brothers. They turned around to face a boy that could have been around their age. He was wearing the school's uniform, which implies that he also attends the school. The boy had the whitest hair Matthew has ever seen, and he had a set of piercing crimson coloured eyes. It was a first for Matthew; he had never seen someone with red eyes.

"You guys must be the newbies! Well, welcome to the school, my dear Birdies! Kesesesese~" the albino said, reaching out his hand. From his accent and how he pronounced his 'w's, Matthew guessed he was somewhere from Germany. Although his laugh was creepily weird, Matthew couldn't help but stare. The albino noticed Matthew, and he leaned in closer, and let out a low whistle.

"Wow, I didn't know they'd have a real cutie," the boy said, followed by a smirk and a wink. That comment made Matthew turn slowly red, and have a flustered looked on his face. Alfred, noticing, came in between Matthew and the albino.

"Who are you?" The albino glared at Alfred with a look of disbelief.

"You do not know who I am? Well, I shall introduce myself. I am the one and only, awesome second-year, Gilbert Beilschmidt, from the most powerful nation of all times: PRU~!" He seemed like he was about to continue, but someone hit him on the back of his head.

" ** _Bruder_** , please, I asked you to take me to the registration desk. Not to make a fool out of yourself," said another German-accented voice, but was deeper than Gilbert's. Both Alfred and Matthew looked at the boy behind Gilbert. He was taller than Gilbert by many inches, with white skin with a more yellow undertone to Gilbert, golden blond hair, and equally piercing yet blue eyes. He also seems to be very muscular, from what Matthew could see from his arms since he was wearing a white collared T-shirt with the _R_ insignia.

"Geez, _West_! I was just fucking around with them-"

"I am sorry if my _Bruder_ did anything to harm you guys," said the tall blonde. "Are you two first-year students?"

"Y-Yes, we are," Matthew spoke up.

"Oh, okay. I'm in that year as well. Sorry about that. It's normal to see these many students. Although, there are more in the auditorium, and most are still in their dorms since they came in yesterday. You guys should start registering now. The line for the first-years is right there. They should give you your schedules, and other necessary things." The boy pointed towards one of the lines that were at the end of the second table.

"Yep, thank you, man!" Alfred said, before dragging Matthew. "By the way, what's your name? Ya know, since we might end up in the same class!"

"It's Ludwig. Ludwig Beilschmidt." Alfred just nodded, said a quick 'cool cool', and continued to drag Matthew to the line. As they got near the line, Matthew spoke up.

"Well, that was…weird. But, they seem nice…"

"Yeah, okay Mattie. Sure I guess the Ludwig guy's cool, but that albino looks like a creep," Alfred sputtered, a worried look on his face. "No, wait. He IS a creep!"

"Alfred, that's not really nice to say…" Matthew won't deny the fact that the guy scared him a bit. Not only how he looks, but also how he talks. It sounds like he'll do something to you when you least expect it. After ten minutes standing in the line, Matthew could see Alfred eyeing people.

"Man, there are so many males students amongst the freshmen. I just noticed that," Alfred said. Matthew looked around. Alfred was partly right.

There doesn't seem like there was a lot of girls amongst the freshman. In front of Alfred was a small boy, with light brown hair and olive skin, with a big curl on the left side of his head. He was chattering non-stop to the person in front of him, and Matthew could tell from the few foreign words that he drops that he was most likely from Italy. Behind Matthew, there was another boy, with ivory skin, pure black hair, and almost black eyes. The thing Matthew noticed about him his how intriguing his eyes were- they were a mix of amber and brown, giving him a mysterious look. Though the expression on his face was completely neutral, and he seemed to be surveying the others, silently judging them.

"Maybe they're inside the auditorium?" Matthew said.

"Hm, could be."

"Next." said a young blonde woman. She had red-framed glasses, that hid her blue eyes, and she seemed really serious. "Name?" she asked Alfred.

"Um, Alfred? Alfred Bonnefoy-Kirkland?" Alfred said, stuttering.

"Mhm…Jones….Here you go. Please enter the auditorium and remain seated."

"I'll see you inside, brah!" Alfred yelled, making his way towards the auditorium. A few people looked at Alfred like he was crazy, but returned to the conversation they had.

"Is that your brother?" the woman asked. Matthew nodded flustered.

"Yes. I'm sorry if he's loud."

"It's alright. You don't need to apologise. Your name?"

"Matthew Bonnefoy-Kirkland."

Matthew scurried away into the auditorium after receiving his schedule. It was dark, and it took Matthew some time to adjust to the dim lighting. He found Alfred, who was waving madly in the front row of the auditorium.

"This is the best seat you can get?" Matthew said, adjusting his glasses.

"Yeah, sorry dude. All the back seats were taken. Anyway, Matthew, I'd like you to meet Kiku Honda," Alfred said, pointing towards the same boy that was behind him in line. It confused Matthew a bit about how quickly the boy made it in the auditorium before Matthew.

"You already made a friend?" Matthew said, looking at Alfred curiously, before sitting beside him.

"Well, yeah. He's in the same class as me for Tech and Gym. I would have met him sooner or later, anyway."

"Sorry. It's nice to meet you, Kiku. My name's Matthew, and if you hadn't guessed, I'm that idiot's brother." Matthew said, smiling. Kiku gave him a slight frown that could've been a look of being offended, but then his face suddenly softened, and he smiled.

" ** _Gomen'nasai_** ," Kiku replied back calmly, before hesitating. "I mean, sorry. It's a pleasure to meet you, Matthew-san -... Matthew…"

"Oh, are you from Japan?" Matthew said, recognising how he used his honorific, and when he apologised. "I guess they don't call you by your first name there right? If you would like, I could call you by your last name."

"No, it's alright. I am familiar with how things are here, but my mind hasn't switched over to this country's mindset; you don't mind me calling you by your first name though, correct?"

"No, I don't mind at all." Matthew replied, a small smile.

"Ah, that's good to hear." Matthew nodded, and started to open the package the woman with the long, blonde hair gave him. He couldn't help but feel like Alfred was glaring at him while he was talking to Kiku.

Matthew checked his schedule for the first semester. The school decided to split the main eight subjects into two different semesters: four for the first semester (which lasted from September until the end of January) and the rest of the courses for the second semester (which lasted from February until the end of June). If a student chooses to take extra classes, then they'd have to attend the Night Classes or the Saturday Classes. Matthew looked at the four courses.

On the paper, it had the teacher's name, the course's name, the room number, and the period:

 _Period 1- Year 1 Business-_ _**Lisa Mona** _ _-313_  
Period 2- Year 1 French- _**Cameron Nzié-** _ _202_  
Lunch  
Period 3- Year 1 Physical and Health Education (M) - _**Lars Jansen** _ _\- Gym 1  
Period 4-Year 1 Math-_ _**Aegyptus Khemet** _ _\- 305_

"Say, Alfred?" Matthew asked, when he noticed that his brother was completely turned away from him. Leaning forward, he could see that he was chattering non-stop with Kiku, and another boy that was beside Kiku.

It was the same Italian boy that was in line with them.

"Alfred!" Matthew repeated. Alfred actually heard him this time, and turned around.

"Yeah, Mattie?"

"Can I see your schedule?" Alfred nodded, and gave the schedule to Matthew. Matthew, in turn, quickly scanned down his brother's list of classes. The only thing he had with him was Gym and, unfortunately, he did not like to think of having to have the same Sex Ed class with his brother. His brother decided on taking Spanish, Technology, and he ended up with Science.

After another twenty minutes of sitting down, there were two men who came up on the stage. They both looked fairly young, one with dark brown curly hair and a huge smile, and the other with long, light blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes. The second one looked familiar to Matthew for some odd reason.

"Yo, Matthew!" Alfred whispered drawing Matthew's attention. "Doesn't that old man with the blonde, long hair look familiar to you? Like, other than the character, Legalos, from that book, _The Lord of the Rings?_ "

"Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing. Especially the blue eyes…"

"Oh, that's your grandfather, Ludwig?" said a high voice behind the brothers. They both looked behind them in unison, to find the same boy that was in front of Alfred in the registration line-up. He was seated right beside Ludwig, who was telling him to shut up.

"He's your grandfather!" Alfred yelled. He was lucky that the auditorium was loud, and only a few people actually heard him. Matthew could have guessed that earlier on, since both had the same piercing blue eyes.

"Y-Yes," Ludwig said, a bit embarrassed. "He is…Aren't you the guys from earlier? The ones that were being harassed by Gilbert?"

"Yeah, I guess we were. Sorry, I never actually told you my name. My name is Alfred. Alfred F.J. Bonnefoy-Kirkland," Alfred stated proudly unnecessarily adding his middle initials, as if it gave him more authority. Before Matthew can introduce himself, Alfred spoke again. "And this is my clone, Matthew."

"I am not your clone," Matthew mumbled, irritably. "I'm your **brother**."

"Ah, I see!" the Italian boy said. "My name is Feliciano Vargas! I come from Venice, Italy! You know, the other one up there is my grandpa, too."

Matthew took a moment to examine the boy. His eyes were closed, and he had a big smile on. The only thing that truly stood out of him was the big curl on his left side of his head. Matthew shifted his look between the dark-haired man and the Italian; he wouldn't be surprised that they were related. They both had the same smile, and both their eyes smiled when they did. What surprised him, however, was how the man looked WAY too young to be a grandfather. He looked like he was in his late 20's, in all honesty.

"Oh yeah?" Alfred said, looking surprised at the fact as well. "What does he work as?"

"Oh he's-"

"Feliciano, I don't think you should really tell them…" Ludwig warned him.

"There is nothing wrong with telling them, Luddy!" Ludwig turned away, a pink blush appearing on his cheeks.

"You guys already know each other when you were younger, or something?"

"Nope! Not at all!" Feliciano said, smiling brightly. "Actually, I met him during the summer! Since Grandpa's the principal, and Ludwig's grandfather is vice-principal, I met him when he brought me to the school to check on something!" Both Matthew and Alfred stared at Feliciano and Ludwig, dumbfounded.

"They're the…" Alfred began.

"…Principal and Vice-Principal?" Matthew finished right after Alfred spoke.

"Oh that's so cool!" Feliciano exclaimed, clasping his hands together excitingly. "You guys finish each other's sentences! Sometimes, me and my **_Fratello_** do that too!"

"No way-"

"No point in denying it, Alfred," Matthew said, although he was denying it in his head too. Not only are they old young-looking geezers, but they also happen to be the Principal and Vice-Principal (which, neither of the twins knew yet), and the grandfather of two of the students that they may end up in the same class with.

"Everybody, sit down and be quiet!" yelled a voice over the speakers. Immediately, everyone shut up, and nobody moved. They all stared at the man with the long blonde hair, who was standing in front of the microphone.

"Thank you. Now, I'll leave the rest to Mr. Vargas to explain everything to you." Stepping back, he allowed the younger looking man to walk up to the microphone.

"Hello, students! Welcome to the Academy! As you may or may not know, I am the Principal of this school! And, if you still don't know, I was also the one that founded this school 35 years ago!"

* * *

**Translation:**

**Bruder (German)= Brother**  
**Gomen'nasai (Japanese)=I'm sorry**  
**Fratello (Italian)= Brother**

**Characters Used (Teachers):**

**Lisa Mona: Monaco**  
**Lars Jansen: Netherlands**  
**Cameron Nzié: Cameroon**  
**Aegyptus Khemet: Ancient Egypt**


	4. And The First Few Classes

_Well, that was tiring, for some reason,_ Matthew thought to himself, following the rest of the students up the staircases. They were all briefly introduced to Mr. Vargas. The principal insisted that the students would just call him 'Mr. Roma' (his name is Romulus Vargas), since 'Mr. Vargas' makes him feel and sound really old like Mr. Beilschmidt (the vice principal). After a brief introduction, Mr. Roma started to introduce the staff that worked there. Apparently, Matthew's business teacher is the same dark blonde lady from the registration desk. The students had to file out of the auditorium, following their homeroom teacher class. Matthew left before Alfred, since his class was somewhere in the technology wing, on the 5th floor.

Matthew thought it would be an easy walk. Boy, was he wrong. It could be because he was lying around at home during the whole summer. Or, it could be because the school was just too damn big.

It was some sort of workout for not only Matthew, but for the other new students too. He felt bad for this small, timid boy, with pale white skin and dark blonde hair. His blue eyes looked frightened with every step he took. He was behind the others and had a bigger sack that looked heavy for him.

"Do you need help?" Matthew asked quietly to the boy. The boy jumped, and looked at him.

"N-no. I'm alright." The boy managed to squeak before continuing to scurry away. Matthew followed right after him. They finally made it to the classroom. There were computers lined up against all three walls, and two rows in the middle. In the front, there stood the teacher's desk, and a whiteboard.

"Alright, students," said the blonde. "Please take a se-" Before she could finish, all the students immediately took a random chair, obviously tired from the hike. Staring at them for a moment, she walked up to her desk.

"Um, alright then. I would like it if we start with introductions before anything. My name is Lisa. My last name is Mona. Don't make jokes about it, please. I'm from France. This is actually my first year in this school. As you can tell, I teach Business. I'll be also teaching some of the Year 3 and Year 4 Business classes, like Accounting and International Business Fundamentals. Hopefully, after this course, you would like to continue on the road of business studies." After she introduced herself, Matthew couldn't help but feel a wave of familiarity wash over him. He just shrugged it off. Lisa went to open a drawer in her desk, and pulled out a stack of papers.

"Please hand this around the room. This is just the basic outline of this course. After you are done, we shall introduce ourselves individually."

Matthew took a sheet from the pile, and handed it over to the kid beside him. It was the same one from the hallway.

"Matthew, why don't you introduce yourself?" Matthew turned around, shocked by how the teacher remembers his name. Even though Ms. Mona only heard his name once (from the registration desk), he found it kind of weird how she remembers his name…and creepy, in a way.

"A-Alright," Matthew whispered, wishing he would speak up a bit and not stutter. He stood up. "My name is Matthew Bonnefoy-Kirkland. Um, I look forward to learning some business things…." By that point, it was quite obvious that half the people weren't actually paying attention, but are actually whispering amongst themselves. Matthew decided to stop there for now. "Uh, that's all, really." He sat back right down. Why is it that he felt that today was going to be an extremely long day?

Shutting his locker shut, Matthew let out a sigh. He felt completely exhausted for some reason, even though he had only got through half of the day. During business, all they really did was mingle amongst them. Ms. Mona also assigned them their lockers during that time, so those with locks on them can put their bags and books there.

Matthew was able to find out the name of the small boy from the hallway. His name is Ravis Galante, and he came from Riga, Latvia. Although he didn't seem to like to talk much, and he seemed easily frightened by Matthew, who was bigger than him, he still spoke when Matthew attempted conversation. He didn't want to say, but he could have sworn someone very tall was following Ravis around.

After that, Matthew moved on to his next class: French. He found that he would be able to pass the class easily, since he already knows the language very well. His teacher, Monsieur Nzié, seems a tad bit scary at first. He came from a country called Cameroon, in Africa, where French was one of the main languages. However, once you get used to his cunning height, and deep voice, he's actually a nice guy.

It was now time for lunch. It lasted for one hour, and since Matthew doesn't know the school grounds off by heart, he's going to have to run around the school just to find the cafeteria. He doesn't know where Alfred was. He knew that he had Spanish when Matthew has French, but he was sure that Alfred would not be on the opposite side of the Language wing (which is the main floor).

He prepared for the long walk, so he started to walk to the hallway until he came to a random door, which led to the second floor. _Okay,_ Matthew thought to himself. _So far, I know where I am. I'm at the Language Wing._ He started to walk down the wing, turning the random turns, until he came to a door that led to another flight of stairs that led both up and down. Deciding not to take the risk, he just went through another set of doors, which led to the Foyer-or, the Main Hall- and found himself at the front of the school, where he and Alfred first entered.

 _Alright! Now, I know that the cafeteria should be on this floor…Maybe I should turn here?_ He turned around the corner. But, before he could, he could feel someone tugging on his collar.

"Hey, American! Where do you think you're going?" The voice was harsh, with a thick Spanish accent. Shaking at how scary the voice was, Matthew slowly turned around. He found himself face-to-face with a bigger, taller guy. The guy was a few inches taller that Matthew, and he was bigger in body size, with deep brown skin. His black dreadlocks were pulled back by an elastic band, and he had noticeable thick eyebrows. The look the guy gave him made him terrified.

"E-Excuse me?" Matthew managed to squeak, taking a step back. The boy took a step towards Matthew, while Matthew stepped back. "I'm sorry, but I'm not American!"

"Of course you are! You are the stupid Alfred Jones!" Matthew looked at him, completely confused. He took a moment to process this newfound information, until he realised what was going on.

 _This is just like in elementary school…_ Matthew sighed, disappointed. Everyone –and when Matthew means everyone, he means everyone- has always mixed up Matthew with Alfred at least once. Ever since elementary, the students and teachers would have a hard time to tell the difference between them. Matthew found it hard to believe, especially since they weren't blood-related in any way. It has its advantages…for Alfred, that is. Alfred, being the loudmouth and troublemaker that he was, would go around, challenging random people and get in trouble with the teacher. Of course, he often got away with it, because Matthew would get the blame. Sometimes Matthew would get bruises and detention in Alfred's place. It was only right after the incidents that people would realise that they got the wrong guy.

"Um, I think you mean Alfred, my brother," Matthew said, forcing a smile. "I'm Matthew." The boy looked real close at Matthew, forcing Matthew to gulp. He felt as if the boy's eyes were going to pierce through him at any second.

"Nice try, Alfred!" the boy said, grabbing Matthew by the collar. "I know it's you!"

"N-No! Really, I'm not Alfred! I don't even know who you are-"

"Lying won't help you!"

"Um…Er…" Matthew looked around, to see if there was anyone there to help him. It was just his luck that there was no one else around.

"I swear! You're mistaking me for my brother!" Matthew whispered, trying remaining calm at the possibility that the bigger boy might give him a black eye.

"Yo, Matt! Where've you been? I was looking all over the place-" Matthew tried his best to turn his head fully around. Alfred stood there, staring at both Matthew and the bigger boy. The boy looked at Alfred directly in the eye.

"H-Hey Matthew! I see that you and Carlos met! Excuse me, but I need to, uh, clean the…hamburgers…Later dudes!" And with that, Alfred made a full-on sprint past both Matthew and the boy. There was a silence that fell upon them. Finally, the boy, Carlos, let go of Matthew's collar. Matthew sighed in relief as he felt his chest lifted.

"I-I'm sorry for the misunderstanding," the boy said, looking away flustered. Matthew straightened his uniform.

"I-It's alright," Matthew whispered nicely. "This always happens to me. I get mistaken for Alfred."

"Yeah, but still, sorry." He lend out his hand at Matthew. "My name is Carlos Machado. I come from Havana, Cuba."

"As I said earlier," Matthew said, shaking his hand. "My name is Matthew, and, well, I'm from around this town. Is it alright if I were to know why you were looking for Alfred?" Carlos made a 'tsk' annoyingly.

"He was just acting obnoxious during class. I told him to shut up, we got into a verbal fight, and he said that he would be able to win a fist battle with me." Matthew groaned in irritation. Leave it to Alfred to run his mouth off and challenge someone on the first day of classes.

"I'm sorry for my brother." Matthew said solemnly, tilting his head down.

"Why do you apologise for your brother?"

"Oh, um…" Matthew thought for a moment. Why does he always apologise for others? "It's just a habit I have." Carlos just nodded at his answer.

"I'm going to the cafeteria. You wanna tag along?" Matthew looked at him with hope. He could finally find the food heaven! He was terribly hungry at that point.

"S-Sure!" And so, they continued on walking down the hallway.

"This is an important question: Do you like ice cream?"

"U-uh, that was random, but yeah, I do. Why?"

"Oh, no reason."

* * *

 Matthew grimaced when he entered the room. It was the last period of the day. Matthew just has to survive through this class before he can go home and organise everything he had for the coming weeks. He thought that it'd be easy, since Math was simple for him. There were only two small problems about the class though.

The first small problem **he** was there. The same creepy guy from earlier in the morning was there, in the classroom. Matthew believed that his name was Gilbert. Matthew was completely confused when he saw him. He still remembers him saying that he was in Year 2. Matthew had to look at the classroom number plate outside the door a hundred times to make sure that he was in the right classroom for his math class.

The second problem was, by the time he came to the classroom, all the seats were taken, except for the one in the very last row, right beside a seat near the window. The albino had the seat by the window. The only empty seat was beside Gilbert's seat. Matthew shuddered as he looked around at the class. There were no more seats. Everyone has settled down and were chattering away about something.

Only the seat beside Gilbert was all that's left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still trying to figure out if I can automatically designate a time for the chapters I've already wrote to be uploaded, but it's a work in progress ^_^
> 
> Thank you for reading so far, and thank you to those who left a kudos on this work!


	5. Welcome to Math 101

Matthew looked at the boy, then the seat. He took a deep breath in, and started to walk over to the seat slowly. Well, Matthew only met the guy once; and although Alfred said he was a creep, and even thought the brothers disagree on many things, Matthew tends to take Alfred's word about his first impression of others, Matthew didn't necessarily have a reason to not sit beside him. By the time he made it to the seat, he noticed how a few people were watching him. Ignoring these looks, Matthew decided to just sit down. That is, he was about to sit down. Gilbert must have known someone was coming, and quickly put one of his legs on the chair just before Matthew sat down. Matthew quickly straightened up, and looked at the albino with big eyes. He kept staring down to his phone, fiddling with it.

"Um, excuse me," Matthew managed to say, in no more than a whisper. "Can I sit here?"

"I don't know," Gilbert replied, never looking towards him. "Can you?"

Matthew was taken back by his response. _That's rude._ "I-I can, I guess."

"So, why don't you?" The boy said, glancing at Matthew. Matthew just stared at those red eyes, a chill running down his back. They continue to stare at each other, until Gilbert looked at Matthew with his eyes narrowed down. He stood up, and took a closer look at Matthew.

"Do… I know you?" he asked. Matthew felt his face heat up at how close he was with Gilbert.

"I-I'm not sure," Matthew said, not understanding why he is suddenly stuttering out of control. It could be the close distance between them.

"…Oh!" Gilbert said, looking at him with recognition and snapping his fingers. His lips curved into a grin. "Now I remember! You're that blonde cutie with the curl from the hallway! I've wanted to know you're name!"

"Y-You have?" Matthew said cautiously, taking a seat in the chair. Gilbert nodded, as he sat in his seat. He leaned on one hand, and smirked.

"Ja, I have. You're the one with the annoying brother." Matthew could have sworn that his lips twitched in irritation. In the end, something always has to be related with his brother.

"Let me guess. You want to know who my brother is, his name, and you just feel the need to beat him up?" Matthew was expecting a 'yes', but Gilbert just chuckled.

"No, not really. He's just not awesome enough for me to spend time on him. Although, I am wondering what you're name is." Matthew looked at him in surprise. Never has anyone asked for his name. They just happen to know his name because he had to plead it out when he was on the brink of being beaten up as Alfred (as seen during lunch).

"It doesn't matter what my name is," Matthew said, looking away, rummaging through his bag when there was really nothing there. He was having a feeling that he shouldn't be really communicating with Gilbert.

"It does matter because the awesome me wants to know your name. Your brother does not interest me as much."

Matthew looked at Gilbert, and suddenly he felt a sense of irritation. The more that the second-year talked, the more he seemed like Alfred. He emphasized 'awesome' like he was the greatest thing in the world, like how Alfred will always call himself 'a hero'. And with Alfred, it was very, very annoying. Anyone who knew his brother and his hero addiction first hand would know how annoying it was.

 _You? 'Awesome'? Please. Even though you say you're not interested, you're just like my brother in so many ways_ , Matthew thought. He noticed some people looking at him, with a look in their eyes. What are they looking at?

"Oh, yeah?" Gilbert said, leaning in towards Matthew, venom in his words. "How can I match your bruder?" Matthew stared at him blankly, and it dawned on him that he had accidentally said what he though out loud. He should have felt a bit intimidated, but the look Gilbert was giving him felt like he was asking him to say something back, a sort of challenge. A challenge he shouldn't accept, but Matthew didn't put much thought in the moment did anyways. And besides- despite not liking to instigate fights, Matthew knew he could just simply be passive aggressive without starting anything.

"Think highly of himself. All about 'me me me'. That is almost exactly how my brother is."

"Almost?"

"Aren't you in Year 2?"

"Yes, why?"

"You are almost like my brother. I take it back though; you're not like my brother. My brother wouldn't have failed a course like this in the first place, you're here so I'm assuming you failed this class the first time." Gilbert and Matthew looked at each other for a moment. He could have sworn that Gilbert would knock his block off. However, he did not. Instead, he started to laugh.

"Kesesese~! Not only are you cute, but you can actually hold your grounds against me! So smartly, too. I like you, kid. Although," Gilbert leaned in closely to Matthew; so close that Matthew can smell the cologne he was wearing quite well. "I'm letting you off the hook this time, just because I don't feel the need to hurt you. But, you might not want to insult me like that again, or my opinion on you may change. Got it, Birdie?" Matthew felt another chill, and his heart started to pump like mad. He nodded, although with a slight frown, and Gilbert leaned back in his chair satisfied.

"By the way, I didn't catch your name." He said with another hiss.

"Matthew," Matthew said firmly, controlling his heart rate.

"Matthew, huh," Gilbert muttered, before smirking and turned his view outside the window. Matthew let out a mental sigh of relief when he saw the teacher enter the room. Thank you, whoever you are!

"Welcome, students, to Math." She said kindly, but her voice had a hint of strength. "I will be your teacher for this course. I am indeed Aegypstus Khemet. It is Ms. Khemet to you, however." She seemed to have noticed Gilbert, because she grinned.

"It's nice to have you here, Beilschmidt." Gilbert took notice, and returned his view to her. He smirked.

"It's nice to have you as my teacher again, Ms. Khemet."

"Hopefully you'll actually attend and pay attention to class this term." She said, nodding as she took out the course outline. Gilbert just shrugged, and continued to stare out the window. "After all of you received a sheet, you may mingle amongst yourselves. I have nothing to hand today; I'm pretty sure that you already have your textbooks, or they placed it in your dorm room. I'm letting you guys off easy today. The hard work starts tomorrow." As everyone started to restart talking to each other for another 1 hour, Matthew just decided to stare at Gilbert the whole time.

This time, Gilbert was doing something on his phone, fidgeting with a game. Matthew took time to observe him; however, he had no idea why. He noticed how truly white his spiky hair is, and how truly blood red his eyes were. Such pale skin too. It didn't give him a sickly look. And a pointed nose too. It just made him look distant from others. It made him look…beautiful. Even thought it was September (right after summer vacation) his skin looked like he was indoors the whole time. He was only wearing his white collared, with no tie. It was not buttoned properly, and wasn't tucked into his black pants. He had a black belt, but it wasn't like it went up all the way up to his waist. He was obviously trying to low-ride. If Matthew were to squint, he could see he was wearing some black Hard Metal Band T-shirt under his white shirt. Was he wearing…a bit of black nail polish? He was also wearing a necklace, with a black bird on it. It looked familiar to Matthew, thought, but it's not like your everyday bird.

"What's up with your necklace?" Matthew suddenly said, before realizing what he said. Gilbert looked at him curiously, before grinning.

"What's this? Are you checking me out?" he said smugly. Matthew felt a blush crept on him, and he shook his head.

"Why would I want to check you out?" he snapped. "I was just wondering what that bird was."

"This? Here, try to guess what it symbolises." Gilbert said, taking of the necklace and tossing it to Matthew. Matthew caught it, surprised at the sudden motion. He looked at the black bird questioningly at first. Then, he remembered seeing the bird in a history book…

"Isn't this supposed to symbolise…the coat of arms in Germany?" Matthew said questioningly. Gilbert face seemed to have suddenly lit up, and he took the band out of his hands.

"You're smart, Matthew. The double headed eagle, mostly drawn from Prussia."

"But, it's is no longer a nation of World War 2. Why would you have that?"

Matthew looked at him confusingly. Gilbert noticed Matthew's confusion, and continued. "My whole family lineage lived in Prussia. Even after it's been divided, we lived in the part that is apart of Germany. And besides." He lifted the bird up a bit, pointing at it. "This is awesome! And this is coming from the awesome himself!" Matthew cringed at how irritably high his voice has gotten at the last part.

"I see." Matthew said, looking away from Gilbert. He spent the rest of his time randomly doodling in his notebook. When the bell rung, he quickly got out of his seat, and ran out the door, to meet up with Alfred (wherever he was). He didn't dare look back to see if Gilbert was following him.

Something bothered him terribly from what Gilbert has said earlier. What did he say again? Matthew thought to himself. Oh, right. "I'm letting you off the hook this time, just because I don't feel the need to hurt you." A chill once again ran down Matthew's spine, as he ran down the never ending hallways and staircases. Those words have so many different meanings…not good meanings, thought.

* * *

 

"Say, when will Dad be coming home, Matt? He could have given us a ride home, since he works at our school."

"I don't know. He told us he had a meeting."

"Ah, I'm so tired!" Alfred cried, as he flopped himself on the couch. Matthew shook his head in disbelief, and locked the door to the apartment shut behind them.

"Tell me one productive thing you did during the whole day, other than picking a fight with someone." Matthew said, opening the door opposite to the front door (their bedroom), and threw his bag in. Alfred rolled over, letting his head fall over the sofa's edge, as he looked at Matthew.

"What, are you mad about that one little misunderstanding with Carlos?"

"I don't want to get beaten up in your place, that's all." Matthew walked passed him, dropping a pillow on Alfred on the way to the kitchen. He filled the kettle, turned on the stove, and sat on the opposite side of the sofa. He grabbed a pillow, and started to squeeze it. "You haven't changed at all from when we were younger." Alfred smiled proudly, not knowing how much of an insult it is.

"Oh, yeah. The good ol' times. When people would have a hard time telling who's who…"

"…And most of the time, they would mistake me for you, because of your big mouth."

"Dude, why do have to point out the bad times? Try thinking of the good times we had in elementary and mid-way through middle school. And before that too! You know, when we were together." Matthew tilted his head. Was there any good times amongst them?

"The first good thing is when I found you, I guess." Matthew said finally.

"Au contraire, mon frère," Alfred replied, his French sounding off. "I found you. It wouldn't be more…heroic if the hero was found by the sidekick!"

"I would never be the sidekick to you, lazy-ass." Matthew hissed.

"It was luck to find each other in the orphanage. I remember thinking your my clone! I still think you are, thought…"

"I am not your clone, Alfred, for the millionth time. It was luck that Dad and Papa were actually willing to adopt both of us."

"I guess we could say it was a good thing that we run into them when we were running on the sidewalk."

"…You do realise that we were three years old at that time. How the hell did we even manage to get out of the building without getting caught? Heck, how did we even walk that quickly?"

"Who knows man? All I remember is that we were about to cross the road before Dad stopped us. He even asked us where our parents were and…"

"…that's when everything really did fall into place, huh?" Matthew said, finishing his brother's sentence. As said in their conversation, the two met at an orphanage.

Of course, they weren't blood related; Matthew was originally found on a very small community mostly made up of Metis people whereas Alfred was found within the city they now lived in. Both are confirmed to have Aboriginal heritage, with the orphanage confirming that they are both Metis. And although they're backgrounds are similar, they both came from different places yet, they had extremely similar features.

It creep both Alfred and Matthew out in a way, and it still does. They were the same age, but Matthew was born three days (at least, that's what was claimed on the birth certificate found with him) before Alfred. But, ever since they met, they were inseparable…and troublesome too. Partly the reason why they weren't still at the orphanage was because of their parents. They were trying to cross the road (how they got out of the building in the first place is a mystery), but were stopped by their Papa and Dad.

"Yeah. Then there were times where you'd do my homework, and when we were separated and placed in different classes in grade 3, and you'd do my tests…Oh! And the times you would help me with my projects, because the teacher was being a bee-yotch and won't let me use your work!"

"Yeah, basically I did all of your school work while you played hooky."

"Dude, who even uses those words anymore?"

"I do. Then they had gym class…"

"What's funny was how people thought you were weak! Well, compare to me, you aren't as strong and heroic as me. But, man, you showed them in our first unit! I'm pretty sure we did something like floor or field hockey!"

"Oh, right. Too bad there wasn't any ice hockey…Oh! Remember the times you would insult Dad's cooking? And prefer Papa's?"

"Bro, every time we got in trouble, we'd hide behind Papa. Dad would always have some kind of cooking utensils in hand, and we'd just hide." They continued to talk random moments, ending with fits of laughter.

"Those were the times…" Alfred said, a bit sadly.

"…Before that thing happened," Matthew whispered, finishing their sad statement. Silence fell upon them. Matthew heard the kettle blow, and he got up. "Do you want something to drink?"

"Can you get me a coke or something?" Matthew nodded, and went to the kitchen. There was more silence between them, and neither spoke for a while until Matthew tossed Alfred his pop and he sat back down with his tea.

"…It's been about two years, hasn't it?" Alfred asked quietly, breaking the silence.

"Since what?" Matthew asked, knowing full well what he meant.

"You know what I mean."

"…Yeah, it has." It's been a little bit more than four years since the night of the fight and separation. Their parents were fighting over something, and it ended with Matthew, Alfred, and Arthur leaving the house. "Didn't it happen during the middle of August?"

"Yeah, it did. It was when we were twelve. Now that we are fourteen, it would be two years." There was a small pause. "They're not legally-"

"No, they're not legally divorced. It's considered as a separation." Matthew sipped on his tea, before continuing. "I don't think they'd be planning for a divorce any time soon. It's too hectic for Dad to handle at the moment."

"… I know I asked you this question before, but why'd you decide to live with Papa? We could have stayed together with-"

"I know. But, it's not like I'm not allowed to come here whenever I want. Technically, I still live with you guys."

"Yeah, but not all the time. You didn't have to go."

"I chose to go. But, it doesn't really matter where I live, right? You can come over to my house whenever, and I can come here whenever. We don't live drastically far away."

"…" Alfred looked away, sipping on his coke.

"It still annoys you," Matthew said, reading his brother's thoughts. "The fact that they are still separated."

"…Yeah. Even after two years, I'm still not used to it. I don't like it at all. But, at least they didn't get a divorce. I'm betting neither of us would want Percy Jackson as our step-father."

"What, Dad and him are still together?" His father, Arthur Kirkland, has been on a little…dating spree. Not exactly a spree, but he seems to be looking for someone good. After three years of meeting people he has finally found someone.

His name is Percy, and his last name is something neither Matthew nor Arthur care to remember. His name is basically the root of his nickname, 'Percy Jackson'. He worked at a museum in the town, and had a strange fascination with Greek mythology and mythical creatures (hence, his nickname). The mythical creature's part of him scored brownie points with their Dad…unfortunately. There was nothing really bad with him…Alfred and Matthew just don't like him. At all. He had brown wavy hair, which goes down a little below his ears. He had sparkly green-blue eyes and perfect, sparkly teeth to match (which greatly annoys Alfred, because he's the only one who should have teeth that sparkle in the family). Their father and his boyfriend have been only dating for around six months now. For some reason, there is something that annoys them about Percy.

"That surprised me too, bro! Like, seriously dude. I don't even know why Dad would go out with him in the first place-Heck, why does he even stick with him?"

"Do you want my honest opinion? Maybe it's because he reminds him of Papa." Alfred looked at him questioningly. "C'mon, think about it Alfred! He has wavy hair and blue eyes."

"Um, dude. Hate to burst your bubble, bro, but Papa would have an easier time getting a boyfriend and girlfriend. He's more attractive than Jackson can ever be."

"Alfred…That just makes it sounds like you've been checking Jackson out or something. And Papa." Alfred looked at Matthew, obviously disturbed.

"Dude, I would never do that. That's just sick, checking out your dad's boyfriend. It's even worse when you check out your dad." Matthew just laughed.

"Speaking of Papa," Alfred continued on. "Does he still drinks?"

"…Well, yeah. I haven't seen him doing so recently, but he still does."

"You've asked him to stop, haven't you? Can you tell him to try, at least? For me? It hurts me to think that he's drowning himself in some sort of beer or wine just because of-"

"I'll tell him." Matthew said, interrupting his brother for saying the final word. Because of Dad, Alfred was about to say. Before Matthew can continue on, the door to the apartment opened. Both the brothers look at the door at the same time, to see their Dad-Arthur- closing the door behind him with one hand, and have one hand on the phone.

"No, I can't go tonight." He said into the phone, obviously sounding like he was trying to control his temper. He was having a difficult time balancing the phone, the big bag of assignments and paper, and the keys at once. "Percy, really?" Alfred grinned in delight when he heard who his Dad was arguing with, and turned his full attention on.

"I told you, I'm tired. Today was the first day back to school, and I'm just tired. Can't we go another time? ...No? Well, why not? …You're busy during the whole week? What, do you think I'm not busy at all? Teaching teenagers is not an easy task…Well; I'm betting working at a museum is sure of an easier task then teaching…. What? Are you bloody serious? Do you really think that free-lancers can teach? Are you calling me someone who did not go to university or something? Someone who did not work their ass off to get their degrees? I was never a failure to begin with…No, I'm not calling you a failure, but you're calling me an uneducated person!" Matthew knew that the conversation was going to turn ugly, so he silently went into the kitchen to fix Arthur an Earl Grey tea. Alfred just cozied himself to enjoy the show.

"No. I'm not going tonight. Find something that you could do by yourself…Fine. Be that way. Not like I give a bloody damn. Good bye." Matthew heard Arthur swearing under his breath. "Alfred? What the bloody hell do you think you're doing with your shoes on? Take them off right now and put them in the front! And don't sit like that either!" Matthew peeked from the small doorway of the kitchen, and chuckled when he saw Alfred scrambling to take off his shoes. Arthur took notice of Matthew, and turned his attention to him.

"Oh, you're here, Al-..." Arthur groaned irritably.

"Matthew." A sign of recognition and a face of apology took place in Arthur.

"I'm so sorry, Mattie. I keep mixing you two up no matter how long it's been. I'm just really tired and my head is not functioning well…"

"It's okay, Dad." Matthew whispered sweetly, before bringing out a cup. "Here."

"Oh, thank you love." Arthur sat down and took a sip. "How was your day, boys? I hope there were no problems at the school. There were no fights, right?" Alfred and Matthew looked at each other. By using their 'telepathic powers', they gave each other looks that only they could decipher accurately.

 _Should I tell him about what you did during lunch?_ Matthew said in his head.

 _No! Don't even mention it! Dad would not like that!_ Alfred replied, with his eyes wide open. _I'd be the one who gets punished!_

_Exactly. It would teach you not to do that again!_

_Mattie! Don't tell him, please! I'll be your best brother!_

_You're my only brother!_

_Yes, but still! Don't rat out on me!_

_I'm not ratting out on you. I am simply going to answer Dad's question. It's basically a Yes or No answer._

_Then don't say yes! Please?_ Matthew returned a stern glance. Alfred smiled awkwardly _...Pretty please? …Pretty, pretty please? …With ice-cream and sprinkles and a cherry on top? ...Two cherries on top? C'mon, who can deny the cherries? Everyone loves the cherries, dude!_

Arthur looked at both of them confusingly, before shrugging his shoulders at the random looks they were giving each other.

"Uh, what classes do you have this semester?" They both looked away from each other and looked at Arthur.

"I have Tech, Spanish, Phys. Ed with Mattie, and Science." Alfred said quickly, before Matthew can say anything.

"I have Business, French, and Math."

"Oh! You guys will be having English next semester! Maybe I would teach you boys next semester!" Arthur said happily. Matthew and Alfred looked at each other with horror. They had forgotten the fact that their father was the English teacher at the school.

"I was just joking! The school wouldn't allow it. And anyway, I might be teaching Social Sciences and Family Studies. The cooking part." They both sighed in relief when they heard that. However, they weren't relief that Arthur will be teaching cooking.

Actually, their looks of extreme horror were still on their faces. They would like to avoid the wing that he'd be teaching at all costs…if Matthew actually knows where the wing is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I wrote this chapter long time ago, and since then I started to learn a lot more about Canada's history; specifically, the government's relationship with the First Nations' tribes. I noticed that how Hetalia portrays both America and Canada is very...European, and to me that's sort of demeaning to the original people who populated that land, and still exist to this day. 
> 
> My head-canon is that Alfred and Matthew are both Metis, which are people who have both European and First Nation lineage. They are a recognized group in Canada, albeit, they are ostracized when it comes to conversations about First Nations due to being from two different groups. I plan on them to try and learn their lineage in this story too, since this story is about self discovery and personal growth. I am not of European and/or First Nations lineage, so I'll do my best to do a lot of research. Luckily, I live in a place where there are community centres for learning about these things, but if anyone wants to reach out to me to give me firsthand experiences, please do.
> 
> For me, representation matters a lot, and even though this is a fanfiction, I think the representation of America and Canada to the outside world is extremely important.
> 
> Anyways, thank you for reading this far, and thank you for the continuous support!


	6. Papa's Situation

Matthew shut the door to his house loudly. He does not expect anyone to be home…if there was anyone other than him and his Père. But, as he took off his shoes at the front, he noticed how his father's shoes were still there. He quickly checked the clock that was on the wall. It was nearly 8, and Francis should be at his work. Francis, who works as a bartender at the Braginski's Bar, always seems to be out of the house then. Either that or…

"Oh no…" Matthew muttered frustratingly, as he quietly made his way to the kitchen. There, he found Francis, sitting on the kitchen floor, his back laying on the wall, with a bottle of beer beside him and a half-filled glass in one hand. He stared blankly at the bottom cupboards, looking like he was deep in thought, and continued to take big gulps. He then proceeded to mutter something in French, and then picked himself drunkenly, holding on to the counter to not lose his balance.

Matthew couldn't decide whether he wanted to take the initiative to call his father, or if he should shrug it off. He decided on the first, but he knew that it wouldn't be good if he did.

"Papa?" Matthew said in a whisper. It took Francis a moment, until he turned to look at Matthew. Matthew couldn't really be for sure, but he was pretty sure his dad glared at him and didn't like the idea he was there.

"Mathieu," Francis slurred out, obviously signaling that he was nowhere near sober. " **Qu'est-ce-que tu fais ici? Je pensais que tu allais rester chez Arthur ce soir .** _(What are you doing here? I thought you would be staying with Arthur tonight.)_ "

" **Papa, qu'est-ce-que t'a bu?** _(Dad, what did you drank?)_ " Matthew asked, regretting he asked. Francis, in turn, cocked his eyebrows annoyingly, and turned his whole body towards Matthew.

Francis replied irritated, " **Premièrement, répond à ma question.** _(First, answer my question.)_ "

" **T'a bu de la bierre, hein?** _(You drank beer, didn't you?)_ " When Francis did not reply, Matthew's anger boiled up. " **Tu m'as promis que tu ne consommerais pas plus d'alcool. Pourquoi-?** _(You promise me that you wouldn't consume anymore alcohol. Why-?)_ "

" **Tu n'as pas besoin pas de savoir que je fais, Mathieu.** _(You don't need to know what I do, Matthew.)_ " Francis said.

" **Je n'ai pas besoin de savoir? Papa, je suis ton fils! J'ai le droit de savoir qu'est-ce-que tu fais!** _(I don't need to know? Dad, I'm your son! I have the rights to know what you're doing!)_ "

" **T'es pas en mesure de demander cette question.** _(You are in no place to ask me that question.)_ "

" **Tu m'a menti. Tu m'as promis que-** _(You lied to me. You promised that-)_ "

" **Non, je t'ai rien promis.** _(No, I didn't promise you anything.)_ "

" **Menteur! T'es un menteur ! T'es aussi un idiot ! Juste regarde toi! C'est dégoutant, tabarnak!** _(Liar! You are a liar! You're also an idiot! Just look at you! It's disgusting!)_ " Matthew said, as he turned his back, and ran up to his room, slamming the door shut and locking it. For some odd reason, his anger turned into a few tears that he wiped off quickly.

"Mathieu!" Francis yelled from the staircase." **T'as pas le droit de me parler avec ce ton! Ouvre la porte, maintenant!** _(You do not have the right to talk to me in that tone! Open the door, right now!)_ "

"Non," Matthew barely whispered, as he fell on top of his bed. He couldn't believe that he yelled back at his father. How could he call him a fool? He noticed a small patch of white fur coming out underneath his bed. He pulled the sheets up, and he looked at the creature underneath his bed. It was Kumajirou. Remembering that he brought some snacks from his Dad's house, he handed some cookies and treats to Kumajirou.

"Sorry Kuma…kichi? Yeah, sorry Kumakichi. I don't think it's a good idea to leave the room." The dog looked at Matthew for a moment before cocking his head sideways and letting out a growl of confusion, "Who?" Somehow, Matthew's petwas able to say words in human speech. It was some sort of miracle, really. However, the only thing it can say is"Who?"

"I'm Matthew," he replied solemnly, before picking up the bear and lying down on his bed. It was always the same damn thing.

It's the same routine every day. Alfred was right. Why should he stay with Papa? He can live with Alfred and Arthur anytime. Francis wouldn't care…would he? He's rarely at home, and if Matthew were to find him, he'd be fast asleep. He almost always drank before. It just recently that he rarely does. Today must be one of those days when he can't take it anymore and drowned his worries away with whatever alcohol he had. Matthew hated those days so much. He didn't like it at all, because of the change of character and tension in the house. Francis had promised Matthew that he'd try to stop. But, it looks like there was no way he'd stop at all. And then, after this episode, Francis would apologise, promise to not drink anymore…and continue to drink. Matthew doesn't know what to think anymore of the situation.

At moments like that, Matthew doesn't really know what to do. At times, he'd think about how shitty his life is, and if he's better off somewhere else. At moments like these, he might write down something, and throw out his anger to his writing and pen. But, in the end, he's just going to have to do what he usually does on nights like this.

"I'll just sleep then. Good night," he whispered to himself, closing his eyes and snuggling up with Kumajirou. Hopefully the night will be a good one.

The next day, Matthew decided to wake up earlier than usual. He quietly did whatever he needed to do, and peeked into his father's bedroom. He heard soft snoring coming from Francis' bed, and closed the door softly. Matthew then proceeded to go down the steps.

He made himself breakfast (the usual pancakes and maple syrup), and he gave some to the bear. As he ate, he can hear heavy footsteps coming from the floor above him, moving back at forth. After a good 20 minutes, those footsteps made their way down the stairs, into the kitchen. Matthew didn't bother to turn around while he was washing the dishes and pans, until he heard a voice:

"Bon matin, Mathieu (Good morning, Matthew,)" said the familiar French. Matthew turned around to face Francis. He didn't really look hung over from last night, but he had a hint of dark circles underneath his eyes. He, however, looked new and fresh, and he was surprisingly wearing a proper T-shirt instead of those with frills…it was the one with the faded words British Gentleman in a cursive font on the front, with England's flag on the corner.

"Bon matin, (Good morning,)"Matthew replied quietly. At least his dad was sober. "Should I make you anything to eat?"

"No, it's fine," his father replied tiredly, in barely a whisper, as he walked beside Matthew. He leaned his hand foreward. "Tu peux les vais. Je vais les nettoyer. (You can leave them. I'll clean them.) " Matthew said nothing as he handed the sponge to Francis, who started to wash and dry the items in the sink. He didn't really like the idea of leaving his father with no food, and he still had time, so he just decided to make fry eggs or something.

As he made the extra breakfast, he noticed how many times Francis has glanced his way, as if he was trying to say something, but stopped mid-way. They both finished at roughly the same time, and as Francis placed the last item in the cupboard, Matthew placed the dish on the counter.

" **C'est pour toi,** _(It's for you,)_ " Matthew said, pointing at the plate.

" **Mathieu, tu n'as pas besoin de faire ça pour moi…** _(Matthew, you didn't have do that for me…)_ "

" **Ben,** **il y a rien de manger ici. C'est plus facile pour toi si j'en prépare.** ( _Well, there is nothing to eat here. It'd be easier for you if I just prepare it.)_ " Francis walked up to Matthew in defeat, and raised his hand. He gently placed it on Matthew head, patting it.

" **Tu es un bon enfant, Mathieu. Merci,** _(You are a good kid, Matthew. Thank you,)_ " Francis said, planting a kiss on Matthew's forehead. He then hugged him. Matthew felt wrapped with fuzzy warmth and…love. He loved that feeling he received from Francis. Matthew leaned into the hug, closing his eyes in content.

" **Je m'excuse,**   _(I'm sorry)_ " Francis whispered solemnly. " **J'ai bu hier soir, même qu'après j'ai t'a promis que je ne le ferais plus. Je n'étais pas moi-même. Je m'excuse, Mathieu, pour t'avoir crier hier soir et-** _(I drank alcohol last night, even after I promised you I wouldn't do it anymore, and I wasn't myself. I'm sorry, Matthew, for yelling at you last night, and-)_ "

" **Ne t'inquiète pas, Papa,** _(Don't worry, Dad,)_ " Matthew said, breaking the hug a little bit, and smiling. "And…I'm sorry for yelling back at you and calling you a…an idiot. I didn't mean it. And I'm not mad at you or anything. It's just how it is when one drinks, I guess."

"I know…And I know I shouldn't have drunk." Francis said disappointingly. "I was just feeling depressed. I'm still feeling a bit depressed but…" He paused, taking a deep breath. "I promise I won't drink anymore."

" **En premièrement, juste essaye d'arrêter** , Papa. _(Just try to stop first.)_ " Matthew said hopefully. "It's not bad to drink, but drinking excessively...Please, just try slowly, if you have to. Don't make promises like that... Even Alfred wants you to try to stop."

"Of course I will try for both you and Alfred," Francis replied, placing another kiss on Matthew's forehead. "You boys are my world. I don't want you guys to be disappointed and leave me. **Déjà une partie de mon monde est disparu…** _(Already one part of my world has gone…)_ " Francis decided to just stop there for the morning.

"You should probably be going now," Francis said. "Classes will start soon, and I remember that Alfred does not like to wake up early."

"Yeah," Matthew whispered, as he took his phone out and speed dial his brother.

"I'll be working tonight. Have a good day at school."

"Oui," Matthew replied back at his father, as he grabbed his bag and made it to the front door.

It was always the same routine every day. Should Matthew really leave?

 _No,_ Matthew thought to himself. _I need him and he needs me. Other than Alfred, I'm the only one that actually stays by him. I don't really want to change that…do I? …Why can't they just have two me?_

His thoughts were disturbed by swearing over the other line.


	7. The Second Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yayyy double update (this chapter and the next one)! I would like to thank you all for reading and giving this work a kudos so far, and to MsGryffindorOtaku and 5ft8in_fangirl for leaving a comment~
> 
> Fair warning: A lot of chapters will contain useless banter amongst Matthew and his friends, so be prepared for their ridiculous talks.
> 
> Also, Matthew is a passive-aggressive lil shit in this, I now realise, but in some of the original comics, he could be like that so all's good :')

Both Matthew and Alfred entered the school grounds with 20 minutes to spare. Alfred dragged his feet tiredly; his backpack slung over one shoulder, and his glasses crooked.

"Dude, why do you have to wake me up so early?" Alfred said, followed by a yawn. The youth laid his back against the wall, letting his bag drop beside him. Matthew sighed at the sight of his brother.

"Alfred, your uniform is not on properly," Matthew said worryingly, placing his hands over Alfred's black tie to fix how crooked they were. Alfred just let out another yawn in response. "And don't slouch. It's bad for your back..."

"But I'm tired," Alfred whined, closing his eyes as Matthew continued to straighten his tie and placing his glasses on right.

"You look like a hurricane attacked you, or something," Mathew replied a he brushed his brother's blonde strands in place.

"I don't look that bad, bro," Alfred muttered rubbing his eyes.

"What time did you sleep at? Don't tell me you were up all night on your PS4 or something…"

"What? It's not my fault that people are more active at night!" Alfred confessed, waving his arms in the air dramatically. He caught the look of seriousness on Matthew's face, before talking once again. "No, dude. I was not playing on the PS4. I was just thinking about something…or _someone_." There was a hint of mystery in Alfred's eyes that made Matthew very curious all of a sudden.

"It's only the second day of school. Don't tell me you're desperate and already crushing on someone…"

"No, I'm not crushing on someone. I just find this person _very_ interesting…" Alfred said, putting on a stupid grin.

"…Very interesting to leave you sleepless at night?"

"I mean, they are very, _very_ cute. I'm just not sure if I'm extremely interested in them to get them laid-."

"Well, I'm very sure that you need to control you're hormones there, pal," Matthew said with caution, patting Alfred's head. "Getting them 'laid'? Really, Alfred? You couldn't even hold hands with your ex-girlfriend from grade 7 and you're thinking about getting laid?"

"What's this I hear about getting someone laid?" said a loud random voice behind the brothers. They both turned around to find Feliciano smiling and waving at them. Behind him were both Ludwig and Kiku, who were both, turning pink at how Feliciano can throw that word so lightly. "Good morning to the both of you!" Alfred caught sight of Kiku quickly, and he blushed.

"K-Kiku!" Alfred managed to stutter out. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to hear that you are _very_ interested in someone, Alfred-san," Kiku said, not looking at Alfred. He bit his bottom lip embarrassingly, brushing strands of his raven hair away from his eyes. "I couldn't have guessed that you were that type, Alfred-san…"

"I-I'm not that type!" Kiku gave this unsure look towards Alfred. "Honest!"

"Ve~ there is something like 'Don't judge a book by their cover'." Feliciano said in his usual cheery tone. "We can use that saying in this situation. Like how Kiku should not judge Alfred right away, since they just met yesterday. Right, Ludwig?"

"You can use it however you like, Feliciano. I'm not going to stop you." Ludwig just simply, seeming like he doesn't want to be there at the moment. He caught a quick look at Matthew, then seemed like he was about to say something. Until Feliciano interrupted.

"You know, Alfred, you're name reminds of this type of pasta sauce! It's called _Alfredo_! It's really good, especially with this pasta and it…" Feliciano kept rattling on and on about Alfredo pasta, while Alfred was trying to explain to Kiku that he wasn't some sort of closet pervert. Ludwig smacked his forehead at the foolishness that was going on around them. He then proceeded to speak with Matthew.

"You are…Matthew, yes? You have Math with Ms. Khemet during the last period of the day, right?" Ludwig asked.

"Yes," Matthew replied surprised at the question. "Why?"

"Oh, just wondering." Ludwig paused for a moment. He looked like he was having a conflict with himself, whether he should add more or not. "Actually, I've been wondering if you are the same person Gilbert was speaking of."

"Gilbert?" Matthew shuddered at the sudden thought of the albino. What did he say about him? "What…did he say?"

"He just said how there was someone very interesting that sat beside him in his Math class." Ludwig said, shaking his head. "Foolish _Bruder_. He failed First year math last year because he skipped that specific class."

"Why'd he do that?" Matthew asked curiously. He knew he wasn't in a place to ask that sort of question. But, it seemed like Ludwig didn't care who he asked.

"Honestly, I have no idea. He didn't tell my grandfather, do you think he'd tell me?"

 _Hm_ , Matthew thought. _Well that's interesting in a way…_  Eventually, Feliciano dragged Ludwig into the fiasco, despite him not wanting to, and Matthew felt a bit awkward. He was just there, while the others continued to rattle on and on about anything they wanted to.

"Hey, Alfred," Matthew said, tapping his brother's shoulder. "I think I'll be going to class now."

"Hm?" Alfred said, taking notice of Matthew. "Sure Matt. See you at lunch, maybe!"

"Yeah…" And with that, Matthew quickly made his way up the stairs to his Business class. Matthew couldn't help but feel like someone very tall was watching him from the corner of the hallway…

He ignored that feeling, however, and he finally made it to his Business class. The classroom was open at the time, so he just walked in. He only found his Business teacher, Ms. Mona, sitting at her desk and stapling a bunch of packages.

"Can I come in?" Matthew asked from the doorway, his voice quiet as usual. Amazingly, Ms. Mona actually was able to hear him.

"Oh? Matthew? Yes, of course you can come in," She said, taking only a small glance at Matthew before returning to her sheets of papers.

There was something that bothered him about the teacher; he didn't know how she knew his father in the first place, and he's never seen her around her father either.

He just shrugged his suspicion, and took a seat at a nearby chair.

* * *

" ** _Putain_**!" Matthew whispered as he ran through the hallways, dodging through a few students who were also in a hurry to make it to their classes. He made a sharp turn, and continued to run until he made it to his Math classroom.

Taking deep breaths, he entered the classroom, to find that he came before the teacher did. _Yes!_ Matthew thought happily, as he realised that he was not late. But soon, his thoughts were replaced with a terrible realisation.

Once again, HE was there. He was right at the same spot as yesterday; the seat right beside the last window of the classroom. And once again, the only seat that was empty was the seat beside him. Matthew restrained himself from groaning out loud.

He really needs to learn to swallow his pride and change in front of the other guys. They started their first Gym Unit (it was badminton) and they are forced to change into different clothing for the class. Which, basically means, in the beginning and end of class, they are going to have to strip- er, change- in front of one another. Not that there is nothing to hide, just like their teacher, Mr. Janssen, said.

They are all boys and even though most (but maybe not all) have the same… _vital regions_ …there is really nothing to be embarrassed of. The real embarrassment happens when they get into the health part, and their view on their teacher will dramatically change. And Matthew would most likely be more scarred than he already is. It's not his fault that his innocence didn't really last long thanks to Alfred and his _Papa_.

Matthew isn't the only one embarrassed. There is Kiku, who is even more embarrassed than him, and, while turning a lovely shade of crimson, tries to get into a bathroom stall to change. The only ones who don't give a shit if there are others around them would be Ludwig, Alfred, Carlos, a student from Sweden name Berwald Oxenstierna, and another student name Heracles Karpusi. One of the students, Im Yong Soo (apparently, he's Kiku's relative from South Korea) seems to enjoy the fact that they had to change in the same room.

The only reason Matthew is late is because he waited for a few people to leave…and then he changed. And then he made a run for it towards the third floor. It didn't really help that his muscles were sore from the laps.

Heaving his feet tiredly, he made his way towards the empty seat. Matthew quietly slipped into the seat, being cautious to not make any noise that will catch Gilbert's attention. Unfortunately, Gilbert already took notice of him.

"Well hello there, Birdie," Gilbert said with a grin.

"H-Hello," Matthew replied back taking deep breaths. "Birdie?"

"Well yeah. Birdie. I call everyone that. No point in arguing, it's officially your nickname," Gilbert confirmed. Matthew just nodded, still taking in breaths. It's really his fault for not keeping in shape during the summer vacation. All he really did was stay at home and curl up with a book. And if he did went outside (mostly with Alfred), he'd just stay on the sidelines as Alfred played American football with other boys their age.

"You alright?" Gilbert asked curiously.

"Y-Yeah," Matthew replied. "Why?"

"What class did you have before this one?"

"Uh, Phys. Ed with Mr. Janssen." Gilbert let out a low whistle.

"Mr. Janssen is still teaching First Year Gym? Good luck, then."

"Good luck?"

"Yeah. You'll need. Mr. Janssen is too intense when it comes to sports and training. I was in his class last year for Gym. I was able to handle it, thought, since I'm awesome. There is a reason why our school teams almost always wins many of the matches and competitions nationally. He's like some sort of military drill sergeant. No way will he be giving you guys breaks." Matthew let out a groan. He did not like the sound of that.

 _I'm going to be dead by the end of this week, then_ , Matthew thought tiredly, laying his head on his desk.

"Everyone, please settle down," Said a loud, feminine voice over the students' chattering. They all turned towards the front to find their teacher, Ms. Khemet, tossing a piece of chalk up and quickly catching it. All seemed confused, except for Gilbert, who was unfazed by her sudden appearance.

"Thank you," Ms. Khemet said as all eyes were drawn to her. She continued on to taking a clipboard off of her desk. "Now, today we will be starting with our first unit. Please keep in mind that we'll only be spending one chapter of the unit per day, meaning that our unit test will be around every two weeks to three weeks. This school's education is hard and fast-paced, so study hard, and if you have any questions, do not hesitate to come ask me for questions. I'll be taking the attendance now, so please take out your textbooks to page 12." As all the students took out their textbooks, she started to call out all the students' names.

"Natalia Arlovskaya?"

"Present," said a long, platinum hair, Belarusian-accented girl that sat two seats beside Matthew. She looked nice enough, but the way her dark eyes contrasted with her pale white skin, and the way she had no emotion on her face, Matthew just felt a…creepy feeling dwell inside him.

"Gilbert Beilschmidt?"

"Here, Miss," Gilbert said, throwing one hand in the air. Ms. Khemet took note of that, and just nodded. As she went through the list, Matthew flipped through to the page they were supposed to be at.

He noticed how Gilbert has not even brought his textbook. Heck; he didn't even have a pencil or paper on his desk. All he really did was lean his head into his arms as Ms. Khemet started to write down notes on the board about the lessons.

After their little lesson, she assigned the entire class a bunch of pages to be completed within the remaining time they had in class, and to finish off as home-work. They will take it up the next day. All that time, Matthew couldn't help but wonder as to how Gilbert can remain so relaxed. Curiously, he tapped Gilbert on the shoulder lightly.

"Hmm?" Gilbert said, turning his head slightly, showing that he was in the midst of sleeping. He opened one eye tiredly, glaring at whoever woke him up. He snapped, "What?"

"Aren't you going to take notes or even do the work?" Matthew asked curiously. Gilbert just tsked, as he leaned back against his chair.

"No," he replied, as if it was the most obvious thing ever. "Why should I?"

"Why shouldn't you?" Matthew replied back, his left eye twitching irritably at the albino's lax behaviour. "It's good to practice." Gilbert just shrugged at Matthew's reply.

"So? You don't tell the awesome me what to do, Birdie," Gilbert said, placing his arms in his arms, preparing to fall back asleep again. "This shit is easy. I already know what the hell we're learning. Why don't you be a good boy, and study instead? I bet you'll need it."

"Yeah, we'll see after the test," Matthew muttered sharply, not caring about whether Gilbert heard him or not. Inside his head, he has killed Gilbert at least thrice.

 _How dare he act so obnoxious!_ Matthew thought furiously, his grip on his pencil tightening and his writing turned darker by the force of the led. _Me? Be a good boy and study? Because_ _ **I**_ _need it? What a lazy-ass! Wait, why should I care? It's not affecting me or anything. Oh no, it's not affecting me at all. I don't really give a damn at all. Yep, that's it. I don't care what he does._

As Matthew continued to torture his pencil by writing down the equations furiously, he could see from the corner of his eye that Gilbert was watching him. Not simply taking a glance from aside. He was literally, head side-ways, looking at him, with intense interest in his eyes. There was also a spark of amusement, which must have been because of how pissed off Matthew seemed. That just makes Matthew feel like flipping Gilbert's table, just so he can see how mad he was.

"Why would you care what I do, Birdie?" Gilbert finally said, as he continues to stare at Matthew.

"Who said I cared?" Matthew replied back, annoyed. Gilbert's expression seemed to slightly change into something Matthew couldn't make out.

"You don't?" Gilbert asked.

"No. Why should I?" Matthew said, miserably failing to copy Gilbert's high voice. Gilbert narrowed his eyes at Matthew's fail imitation, and just returned to his sleep.

The bell suddenly rang, signalling the end of class and the day. Matthew once again did a quick exit out the classroom. That was the end of it. Hopefully, the next day would be decent.

Matthew quickly made his way to his locker, to find Ravis at his locker. He was shaking a bit (but, then again, he always did), and sort of smiled when he saw Matthew. But, as soon as he did, he kind of cringed when he saw something past Matthew.

Matthew turned around, following Ravis' gaze, which led to the other end of the hallway. He didn't see anything, except he could have sworn he so a scarf flutter away around the corner. He couldn't help but feel like someone very tall was watching him from the corner of the hallway…

* * *

 


	8. Help Him Pass

Nearly two and a half weeks have passed since the beginning of the school year. The teachers were right about how fast-paced the school's education was. Already tests and quizzes have been handed out.

In Business, Matthew was in the process learning about the exterior and interior hardware and software of the computer. For French, M. Nzié was already assigning book and news reports, and they were reviewing all the tenses.

Unfortunately, Gilbert was right about Mr. Lars. He must have been a drill sergeant in the military before becoming a teacher. Their daily warm-ups consisted of 13 laps around the indoor 400 meters track, then stretches. By the end of their little jog around the track, most would be gasping for air, lying flat on the ground dead. Usually, you'll find Matthew taking up the back of the line. Matthew would prefer to stay behind and take his time, while Alfred and Heracles would lead the line around the track.

It wasn't that bad taking his time. Actually, he is usually accompanied by Kiku, Im Yong Soo, Kiku's cousin from South Korea, Tino Väinämöinen, an international student from Finland, and Emile Steilsson, another international student from Iceland. Soon after their warm-ups, they would soon split up into pairs. Their first Unit was Badminton, and they did a sort of tournament. Unfortunately, they used the indoor gym; while the first year girl's Phys. Ed class took place outside. Alfred joined "forces" with Matthew and came out 2nd out of all the class. They could have come out 1st if it weren't for Ludwig and Feliciano. It really wasn't fair, since Ludwig did all the work while Feliciano would run and duck from the incoming birdie. They finished their first unit on a Thursday.

Matthew actually loves his gym class. He found the students very interesting, and he would spend most of his time with them; before classes started, during lunch, and even after school. Their little group consisted most of the time: Alfred, Carlos, Kiku, Ludwig, Feliciano, and Matthew himself.

Most of the times, Yong Soo, Tino, Berwald, and Emile may join them. Although, they were quite a…wild…group and they would get weird looks from other students in the cafeteria. They'd mostly spend lunch in the deserted hallways on the fifth floor, since no one actually has the time to walk up the stairs.

Some reasons that they'd get the weird look is because: Carlos would mistake Matthew for Alfred, and may pick a fight with him; Yong Soo seems to enjoy other's hips and chests, and may slip his hands around Kiku specifically, earning a glare from Alfred; the stoic looking Berwald would seem to be glaring at everyone, but that didn't really disturb Tino…and it seems like Berwald has a soft spot for Tino; Feliciano would start to annoy Ludwig to help him with last-minute homework, which Ludwig would have to give in to; stray cats would surround Heracles; etc.

Basically, during the two weeks, everything was completely fine. There seemed to have no serious trouble. Although, it annoyed Matthew and Alfred quite greatly how the other students view them.

Most of the students in the school knew that the strict English teacher, Mr. Kirkland, had two sons who would be attending the Academy starting that year (not only the English teacher, but also the Greek and Arts teacher had a son attending, which they later found out was Heracles Karpusi from Gym class, and apparently Matthew's math teacher had one too).

However, none of the students actually knew who those two were, or how they looked. One lunch, thought, Arthur had happened to see the boys in the hallways. Instead of waiting until after-school, he walked right up to them –while their friends were around- and asked them if they needed a ride home after classes were finished.

Of course, they accepted their Dad's offer. And of course, their friends were curious about how they knew the English teacher (Ludwig didn't seemed surprised, as if he already somehow knew that). From that day forth, word spread out quickly like wildfire, and some of the students in the hallway would try to avoid them. Actually, they may even feel the need to pick a fight with Alfred, since they completely ignored the existence of Matthew. And if they did acknowledge Matthew, they'd mistaken him for Alfred…sadly.

While one still has the fact that their first unit in gym class finished on a Thursday, Matthew actually had his first math unit test on Thursday, too. He found this math unit easy, and he personally had high hopes that he'd pass it with flying colours. Mostly, he really wants to rub it into that hoser, Gilbert, and show him who really needs to study and pay attention.

It was the next day after the unit test. Matthew actually was able to change in front of the others after their gym class ended. But, he was still bashful, and went into a corner to change, trying his best not to turn red in embarrassment. He actually made it in his math class before most students did.

But, as always, Gilbert was right there, in the same spot. Matthew smirked at the sight of his favourite classmate. It was a shame that the students weren't allowed to change their seats from now on. The teacher said that the seating at the moment was fine, and that they'd have to stay there for a long time. Matthew didn't mind Gilbert much anymore. He actually enjoys his company very much, spending some time to chat with him. He initially had no intentions of knowing Gilbert any more than a mere classmate/acquaintance. However, it seemed like Gilbert intended on befriending Matthew.

Walking through the rows of desks, Matthew walked up to the empty seat beside the albino, ignoring the stares he received from some of the few students already in the room.

As he arrived to his seat, Matthew tried his best to not laugh out loud. Gilbert had both his headphones on, with the Metal music playing loud enough for Matthew to hear it from a far off distance. He was nodding his head, tapping one foot to the beat of the music, and using the desk as the drums. He was singing the lyrics quietly, but it looked more like he was muttering some incantation spells.

Matthew slipped onto to his chair, opening his bag to take out his textbook and notebook. He found it hilarious that Gilbert did not know he was ridiculing himself. Playfully, Matthew slowly took out one earphone…then the other. By the time Matthew had pulled out the second earphone, Gilbert had already noticed the lack of music coming from one ear. He opened both his crimson coloured eyes quickly, and turned around towards Matthew. A smiled played over his lips as he snatched the earphone out of Matthew's hand, and he faked being pissed off.

"Well excuse me, Matthew, but I'm trying to listen to educational music," Gilbert said with attitude.

"Right. Nice "educational music", Gilbert," Matthew said chuckling. "You're going to go deaf if you listen to it that loud."

"Yeah. It's the new Classical. And I'm too awesome to go deaf, Birdie."

"Mhm," Matthew responded, diverting his attention away from the second year student and took out a novel out of his bag. He was in the middle of one of the chapters, and he wanted to desperately know how it ends.

"Hey Birdie, what ya reading?" Gilbert asked curiously, leaning in. "Oh! Is it that psychopathic horror, huh? With the mad serial killer and all that mushy, gory stuff?"

"N-No," Matthew said bashfully at the thought of the genre. "It's actually a mystery and…romance…novel…"

"Oh! That mushy stuff! You're into those things?" Gilbert saw Matthew slowly turning pink before announcing out loud, "Awww! Birdie's all embarrassed that he likes lovey-dovey things! He's all red too! Kesesese-"

The teacher came waltzing into the room happily with a thick stack of papers in her hand. Gilbert had his head on his desk, and he was rubbing his head in pain. Matthew continued on reading as if nothing ever happened.

"Hel-lo students!" Ms. Khemet said, and immediately all the students dispersed and returned to their assigned seats. Ms. Khemet smirked satisfied, before brushing a few strands of her raven bangs out of her eyes and held up the sheets of paper. She leaned against the blackboard. "Right here in my hand is a lovely stack of paper with marks on them. And guess what? They're the test from yesterday!"

Suddenly, the room became tense. It was very suspicious of Ms. Khemet to be smiling that way towards them. It could be because of the two following reasons: 1) Most of the students did terrible on the test, and their teacher was trying to seem calm when she's actually angry, or 2) Most of the students have actually aced it, and she was truly proud. But, let's all be real for a moment, and say it's most probably the first reason.

"Don't worry," Ms. Khemet said with a laugh, reading everyone's thought. "None of you failed, nor did most of you receive a low mark. Although, some people really do need to study. You all do know that 70% of your final mark is from your term work, right? Everything counts for the big picture."

"I'll be giving them out now," she said as she took a seat on her chair, pulling herself close to her desk. "There is no real order. Just come up when you hear your name."

"Lillian Zwingli?" Immediately, an elegant-looking girl got up from her chair. She had pale blonde hair that was short and went up to her chin, and a purple ribbon tied on a few strands. Straightening her red plait skirt, she made her way to the front. Matthew couldn't remember, but he was pretty sure that she was from either Switzerland or Liechtenstein.

As the teacher kept calling name, everyone started to take out their textbooks and such. Matthew just watched everyone from afar, but his eyes were soon drawn to Gilbert. As always, Gilbert had not even taken out anything, and instead has placed his head into his arms, prepared to take a nap.

"Matthew?" Matthew jolted in surprise at the sound of his name being called, but did not hesitate to make his way to the front. He was greeted by a smile.

"Excellent job, Matthew," Ms. Khemet said, handing him his papers. He scored a 95%. "You could have gotten 100% if not for the careless mistakes. Please, be careful next time, alright? Other than that, keep up your marks that way."

"Thank you, Ma'am," Matthew smiled sheepishly, as he went to his seat. I'd like to see you beat that, Gilbert! He thought smugly as he sat on his chair, even though he knew he sounded like a total ass.

"…Beilschmidt." Gilbert looked up lazily, cocking his head side-ways. Rolling his eyes, he got off his seat and started to walk towards the front. From where Matthew could see, Ms. Khemet did not seem to have a hint of happiness. She handed the paper to Gilbert, giving him a moment to view his mark, and then started to speak with him. She seemed dead serious, but Gilbert just shrugged and returned to his seat. He stuffed the paper into his bag, before returning to his nap.

Matthew didn't feel the need to ask what Gilbert is. It would make him seem more of a jackass than Gilbert was. He, instead, focused his attention at the front, finding an interesting spot to examine on the black board.

The final bell of the day shrieked through the speakers, signalling all the students that it was the end of their final class of the day, and they would now be entering the weekend. The hallways immediately were filled with students who made a run out of their classrooms, and were going straight to the dorms to change out of their uniforms. Even though the students living in the dorms had a curfew of 10, most don't even listen to that rule (it's not like Mr. Roma minds) and some would go out with friends or to some party.

Matthew had decided to take his time this time, and was the only one left once the bell rang. Gilbert was about to make a dash out the door along with the others, but was quickly stopped by Ms. Khemet.

"Gilbert," she said sternly, using a single arm to block the door, stopping Gilbert immediately. She was, of course, shorter than both Gilbert and Matthew, but the way she stood up, she seemed five times taller, and looked like she was ready to wrestle Gilbert to the ground if he tried something. "We need to talk, remember?"

Leading him to the front of the class, Ms. Khemet took a seat on her chair, leaving Gilbert to stand. Matthew was still there, but it seemed like the teacher did not take notice. She started to talk in a low voice towards Gilbert. She sounded like she was not joking, and was dead serious. From where Matthew was, he couldn't hear much. He wasn't eavesdropping! He's just…listening attentively and it's good to listen…okay, he admits he's eavesdropping. But, the only things he actually heard were "should have done better" and "don't repeat this once more".

Matthew packed all his things, and was about to walk out the door towards his locker, but he too was stopped by Ms. Khemet.

"Excuse me, Matthew?" She called from her spot, catching Matthew's attention. "Can you can come here, please? It's only going to take a few minutes." Matthew obediently walked towards his teacher, glaring at Gilbert when he groaned.

"Y-Yes, Miss?" Matthew whispered kindly.

"Matthew, are you alright with teaching others?" Teaching others? Well, Matthew was never the one most people would ask for help, since most would forget his existence, but he does help and teach Alfred a lot when he doesn't want help from either of their dads.

"Yes, I-I'm alright with that," Matthew said, curious at where this would lead.

"Good," Ms. Khemet said satisfied at his response, and placed her chin on her folded hands. "Gilbert, this test was not a good way to start off the year. At this rate, it's going to be the same thing from last year and I don't want you to retake this course. So, I'm going to be helping you out. Matthew will be your tutor for the remaining time of this course."

"What?" Both of the boys said at the same time, both equally surprised.

"Matthew is going to tutor you from now on. Also, I'm giving another chance. On Monday, you're going to retake the test. I'm giving this whole weekend to study with Matthew. You don't mind, do you Matthew?" Matthew just stared at her, aghast. Him, tutor Gilbert? Gilbert of all people? No ma'am. He doesn't want to meet up with Gilbert outside of school. It's already bad enough that he has to sit beside him in school.

"Wait, wait, WAIT!" Gilbert said, slamming his hands on her desk, catching both of their attentions. "Miss, you can't do that!"

"I wasn't asking if you minded, Gilbert. I was asking Matthew. Well?" Ms. Khemet continued to stare at Matthew, who sure of a hell did not want to do it. But, he didn't want to sound rude towards the teacher…

"…No, I don't mind," Matthew whispered flatly. He could hear Gilbert let out another groan while Ms. Khemet just smiled.

"Good. Now, is it alright if-"

"Hold on, Miss," Gilbert interrupted. "Why does he have to tutor me? Couldn't you have gotten someone else?"

"What's wrong with me?" Matthew asked, offended.

"No offence, Matthew, but you're one year younger than me. Do you know what people would think of me as? They'd think I'm some dumbass-"

"Watch your mouth," Ms. Khemet warned.

"Sorry, Miss. But, still! And, why do I have to retake the test again?"

"I'm just trying to help you! It doesn't matter what you say, you will get a better mark and you will study over the weekend, even if I have to force you to be tutored by someone younger than you. I can easily ask permission from your grandfather and Mr. Kirkland."

"Bushy-Brows?" Gilbert said confused. "What does he have to do with either of us?"

"Bushy-Brows?" Matthew whispered interested to know that's what his father is called amongst the students.

"Mr. Kirkland," Ms. Khemet said seriously. "Is Matthew's father." Gilbert looked at the teacher with wide eyes, before looking at Matthew. He looked like he was confused and couldn't believe what he had heard.

"You're his son?!" Gilbert cried, pointing a finger accusingly at Matthew.

"Wow, you're late," Matthew whispered.

"B-But, how is that even possible?" Gilbert said, still not believing this. "I mean, he has such bushy eyebrows and punk hair, and he looks ridiculous, but you have wavy hair and you have violet eyes, and you're cute an-" Gilbert stopped himself mid-way as he realised what he came to say. He immediately covered his mouth, looking away from Matthew. Matthew tried to restrain it, but his face started to heat up immensely and he turned away too. Ms. Khemet seemed to have this mysterious look on her face, like she was starting to like her idea after all.

"Good, then it seems like it's settled. You two can meet in the library tomorrow, then. You are both dismissed."

Matthew immediately ran outside, making his way quickly towards his locker. His face was still hot, and he had a hard time removing the blush. He kept on repeating what he had heard in class. He thinks I'm… cute? He had heard Gilbert call him a cutie before, but it still makes him flush red whenever he does. He doesn't actually take him seriously, but recently the thought of Gilbert saying that meant something. But, why is it whenever he says that? Well, the more Matthew thinks about it, Gilbert is a very hot guy…and he seems kissable.

Nooooooo! Matthew thought dramatically, falling into a deep, dark pit of despair. There was no he was falling for that guy! Nope. He would never like a guy like that! But then again, he's doesn't seem that bad…

"Why me?" Matthew whimpered sadly, as he opened his locker to get his books. Ravis was beside him at the moment too, trying his best to reach the top shelf to get his textbook.

"Hi, Ravis," Matthew said, trying to ignore the fact he'll be spending time with his least favourite person. Ravis tensed up, but relaxed when he saw it was only Matthew.

"H-Hello, Matthew!" He said with a smile. "U-Um, you seem stressed. Are you alright?"

"Oh, I'm just…great," Matthew said with a quick twitch of his nose at the thought of Gilbert. He heaved his bag over his shoulders. "Well, I'll be going now. Bye."

"I'll see you on Monday, then. Have a good weekend."

"Thanks. Same." I wish, Matthew thought. He was about to walk, but noticed how Ravis was looking terrified at something-or someone- behind Matthew.

"Hello, Ravis!" Said a cheery, Russian-accented voice that made Matthew freeze at how close the voice was. He turned around slowly.

He was facing a very tall and bulky boy. The boy had silvery-blonde hair, and he was smiling. His eyes were nearly closed, so Matthew couldn't really tell the colour of his eyes, or who he was looking at. Even thought it was still September and they were indoors, he was wearing a long tan-coloured scarf. Not only that, but he was wearing a tan jacket.

"H-h-h-hel-lo!" Ravis said frighteningly, shaking timidly. The boy just laughed, and walked passed Matthew. He placed a huge hand on top of Ravis' golden hair, and seemed to be pushing him down.

"Why are you shaking so much? Ha!" The boy took notice of Matthew, and quickly turned his attention to Matthew.

"Aren't you Matthew?" Matthew was taken by surprised that someone knew who he was and not mistaken him for Alfred, but had an eerie feeling. Something about the smile didn't make him seem nice at all.

"Yes…um, may I know who you are?"

"Of course. I am Ivan Braginski!" The boy said happily, leaning towards Matthew. "Aren't you Francis Bonnefoy's kid? And also that English teacher's?" Matthew stood there, still surprised, but more shocked. How did he know his Papa? But, his last name sounded familiar…

"Braginski? Don't they own a bar?"

"Well, club-bar. Either one works, but you would always get vodka! But, da. My family owns that bar! My sister, Katyusha, helps out there and she knows you're father. She also works here as a teacher, too."

"I see…Well, it's nice to meet Katyusha's brother," Matthew said, knowing about Katyusha. She was close to both his parents, but he rarely hears from Francis about her nowadays. He was about to leave, since this conversation was leading nowhere and he was feeling uncomfortable around Ivan, but he was quickly stopped.

"Hey, Ivan! What are you doing with Matthew?" Matthew twitched irritably at the sound of 'Mr. Awesome'. He wanted to wait tomorrow to listen to that annoying voice. However, he couldn't help but feel relieved. Gilbert walked up and stood right beside Matthew, and glared directly at Ivan suspiciously. The look in his eyes was something Matthew has never seen and expected Gilbert to ever have.

"I'm just talking with Matthew and asking him a question." Ivan said the tone his voice slightly changing, but his smile was still plastered on his face. He, however, did open his eyes a bit, revealing a pair of icy, dull purplish eyes.

"Bullshit. What were you really doing?" Something about how Gilbert directed those words made it sound like Ivan was trying to do something inappropriate to Matthew.

"Is there something wrong with me talking to him?"

"No." Gilbert took a step forward and crossed his arms. The height difference was obvious, but Gilbert didn't back down. "Actually, yeah. I think it's in your best interest not to talk to Matthew ever again."

"That did not answer my question, Beilschmidt. I asked you 'Is there something wrong with me talking to him'. Not 'what do you think is best for me?'"

"No, but at least it's an answer, right, Braginski?" Gilbert grabbed on to Matthew's arm, and started to drag him away. "Let's go, Birdie."

Matthew did not try escaping his grasp, and allowed himself to follow the elder's lead as they went down the staircase. But, as soon as they reached the foyer, he felt slightly uncomfortable at some people who were staring at them.

"Let go," Matthew whispered, his voice cracking a bit.

"What's up, Matthew?" Gilbert asked, coming to a halt.

"Uh, you can let go of me now, Gilbert." Matthew replied softly. Gilbert didn't seem to have noticed that he was still holding on, and he quickly let go. He blushed slightly, looking away as he rubbed his neck.

"S-Sorry," Gilbert muttered bashfully, but Matthew didn't understand why.

"Is there something that you needed?"

"Hm? Oh, right! I just wanted to make sure of something. We're going to meet up tomorrow in the school library, right? What time are you free?"

"Um, what time does it open?"

"The librarians would be there by 9, but students are allowed there earlier. It's not like they actually lock the place."

"Then, I'll just meet you there at 9," Matthew confirmed. Gilbert nodded in agreement.

"Cool. I'll see you then." He was about to walk away, but he seemed to have remembered something.

"Right," Gilbert said with a snap of his fingers. "Hey, Birdie? I want you to stay away from Ivan."

"Whu-Why?" Matthew asked, surprised at the order.

"He's a fourth-year. Of course he'll prey on you kids easily. Listen, that guy is not good news. At all. Just…try to avoid him."

"Um, alright then," Matthew replied.

"Good. I'll see you tomorrow morning, Birdie!" Gilbert said with a smile, ruffling Matthew's strawberry-blonde playfully before running off somewhere.

Matthew blew a strand back into place, as he watched the albino disappear behind a set of doors. Suddenly, he felt an arm slung around his shoulder.

"Heyo, Mattio! Sorry for coming late! I was talking with Kiku, and then we helped our Technology teacher, Ms. Dao*, with this shit-loads of paper she was carrying."

"I see…" Matthew said flatly, suddenly feeling incredibly tired. Alfred took note of that very quickly.

"Bro, you sound so dead! Did the classes suck the life out of you or something? By the way..." Alfred dropped to whisper, glancing at the set of doors Gilbert disappeared behind. "What were you doing with him?"

"Who?"

"Now you're starting to sound like your dog," he said, slinging his arm around Matthew. "I was talking about that creepy albino…"

"Gilbert."

"Yeah, him."

"His name is Gilbert, Alfred. And we were just talking about meeting up tomorrow." Alfred looked at his brother with sheer horror in his eyes.

"Whaaaaat!" Alfred said, suiting his words with an over-dramatic motion that you'd see in an anime.

"Alfred, I'm just going to tutor him for math…"

"WHAT! WHY?" Alfred said, shaking Matthew. "Are you crazy, Mattie?"

"I didn't really have a choice…" _Yes you did _, Matthew told himself. _You just accepted it. _"I mean, I did, but my teacher asked me, so I didn't want to sound rude…"____

"Matthew! Why would you do that?"

"Calm down. It's not like it's a date or anything. I'm just going to meet up with him in the school's library." Alfred still looked at him with horror. "We're not going to some dark alleyway."

"I refuse to let this happen!" Alfred said, starting to walk out the front doors. Matthew quickly followed behind him.

"Al, stop it. You're sounding like an overprotective father or something…"

"Hey, I'm just being the caring brother I am." Alfred said dramatically. "Someone has to look out for you, with the fathers we have."

"Shut up, Alfred," Matthew said, not liking how this was going.

"What? It's true, Matthew! We have Dad who is frolicking with that loser boyfriend of his all the time. He even forgot your name, remember!"

"That was only once, and he was tired." Matthew said defensively.

"Whatever you say. And then, we have Papa who is an alcoholic and workaholic."

Matthew did not respond to his brother's words, because he knew he had the right to be angry. It's true that their relationship with their fathers have strained over the years. More specifically, during the last two years. They really only had each other to talk to most of the times. Matthew rarely ever sees Francis since he would be sleeping during the day and sleeping during the night. But, ever since the last time Francis was caught drinking, he hasn't been seen with a bottle ever since. It seemed that he truly was trying to quit for both Matthew's and Alfred's sake. As for Arthur, well, they do see him. But, it seems he'd be talking on the phone with his boyfriend, going out with him, correcting some assignments or preparing more work for his classes. It was like he was slowly cutting any connection with them over the course of the four years, and moving on.

Matthew remained quiet, and after a few minutes, Alfred could tell that he had made it awkward for the both of them. So instead, he started to ramble on about something hilarious that happened during Science class, and soon things where running a tad bit normally. Although, the thought of tomorrow's would-be events slowly crept into Matthew's mind.

____*Ms. Dao (Vietnam)_ _ _ _


	9. Saturday Morning Tutoring Session

_BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP- BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP- BEEP-BEEP…_

He slammed his fist hard on the object that started making that irritating noise, and soon heard a small _crack_ from the alarm clock. Satisfied at the silence that befell, Matthew's arm quickly made a retreat back into his cocoon of light sheets he was curled up in, groaning annoyingly at how early it must be. Trying his best to keep at least one of his eyes open, he tried his best to read the time through his blurry vision. The red light bear the numbers _7:00_ _A.M._ He then did his best to reach for his cell phone, yanking it from the charger. Checking the date, he found out that it was a …Saturday…

 _It's a Saturday!_ Matthew thought furiously, tossing his phone back on the nightstand before curling up in a ball. He shut his eyes tightly and furrowed his eyebrows together. _Why the hell is the alarm clock set this early? Do I have something important to do?_

After a minute of lying still in a ball form, Matthew finally remembered what he had to do. _Maple,_ Matthew groaned irritably. He was supposed to meet up with that idiot Gilbert that day. He was supposed to be at the library by 9. _Why did the night have to be so short?_

Forcing himself to get up, he was only able to sit up on his legs. He curved his back a bit, stretching one arm up while using one hand to rub his tired eyes, letting a small yawn. He stayed like that for a moment, trying to make his eyes open properly and adjust. Matthew gave up quickly, and fell to his back. His head landed on something soft and furry.

Craning his neck, he found out that it was Kumajirou. The polar bear seemed to have also just woken up, but was going to fall back asleep at any moment.

"I don't want to go, Kumajiku," Matthew whined childishly, wrapping his arms around Kumajirou as he placed his hand on top of the bear's white fur. The bear took his right paw, and patting Matthew's cheek with it.

"Whoo?" Kumajirou said tiredly before closing his eyes.

"I'm Matthew…" Matthew managed to mutter tiredly, closing his eyes for a minute. He felt like he was about to drift off to another dream before he heard a loud bang of a pan hitting the floor coming from the kitchen. This caused Matthew quickly jolt up in surprise and suspicion. He tried his best not to make any noises as he quietly made his way to the staircases. Matthew leaned over the wooden railing, trying his best to listen to what may be going on downstairs.

" _Merde_ (Shit)," Matthew heard a familiar voice grumble. He sighed in relief when he heard only Francis. Now that he was already out of bed, he may as well get ready.

Matthew made his way to the bathroom to clean himself, and took his time getting ready (he just felt like being an ass that morning by trying to come late). He slipped into a pair of jeans and a simple, red shirt, taking his time in brushing his blonde strands in place. He quickly took his school bag, and started to make his way down the stairs.

When Matthew walked in, he found Francis making some breakfast for two. _Well this is a special occasion_ ;Matthew thought when he walked in. Francis turned around to see who had just entered, and smiled warmly when he saw it was only Matthew.

" _Ah, Mathieu!(_ Ah, Matthew !)" Francis said, but then he put on this confused look. " _ **Pourquoi t'es réveillé? L'heure maintenant est 7:45, et c'est aussi samedi. C'est rare de te voir réveillé durant le matin à cette heure.** _ (Why are you awake? The time right now is 7:45, and it's also Saturday. It's rare to see you awake in the morning at this time.)"

" _Papa,_ " Matthew replied, walking up to the counter. _Good morning to you too. I have to ask you that question._ " _J **e juste dois rencontrer avec quel qu'un de l'école à la bibliothèque.**_ (I just have to meet up with someone from school at the library.)"

" ** _Une amie?_** (A friend?)" Francis asked, putting on an omelette on a plate. Matthew took the plate and sat down at the dining table. He paused to think. Was Gilbert really considered his friend now? Or, was he more of an acquaintance? Matthew pondered about this for a while, before replying.

" _Oui,_ " Matthew said as he took his fork and started eating. The pause that he took must have made Francis suspicious, because he had this mysterious look on his face and a smirk.

" ** _Ah. C'est juste_ _une amie_** _ **, oui?** _ (Ah. It's just a friend, yes?)" Matthew looked at his father suspiciously at how he emphasised 'a friend'.

" _Oui_ ," he said once more. Francis just nodded, and it took a minute before Matthew understood what his father was thinking.

" _ **J'ai pas une blonde ou un chum, Papa.** _ (I don't have a girlfriend or a boyfriend, Papa.) _"_ Matthew said quickly, drinking some orange juice out of a cup. Francis just chuckled.

" _ **J'ai pas dit ça,** _ (I never said that.)" Francis replied, taking a fork and leaned one arm against the counter.

" ** _Non, mais t'as pensé de ça._** (No, but you were thinking it.) _"_ Matthew muttered.

" ** _T'es sûre ?_** (You sure?) _"_

 _" **Papa, je rencontre avec**_ ** _Gilbert_ _._** (Papa, I'm meeting up with Gilbert.) _"_ Francis looked at him confused for a minute, before finally understanding.

 _" **Oh, je comprends! Il s'appelle Gilbert, hein?** _ (Oh, I understand! His name is Gilbert, huh?) _"_

 _" **Non, Papa ! Il est juste un ami**_ **!** (No, Papa! He's just a friend!) _"_

 _" **Tu dis ça comme tu n'es pas sûre si vous êtes 'juste amis',** _ (You say it like you aren't sure if you guys are 'just friends',) _"_ Francis said in a sing-song way.

 _"Papa !"_ Matthew cried, slightly blushing. Francis laughed at his son's reaction.

 _" **D'accord, d'accord. Je juste blague. Ne le prend pas au sérieuse.** _ (Alright, alright. I was just joking . Don't take it seriously.) _"_

 _" **C'est pas drôle**. _ (It's not funny.) _"_

 _" **Quelles classes partagez-vous ?** _ (What classes do you guys share?) _"_

 _" **Gilbert est dans la deuxième année. Il est dans ma classe de math.** _ (Gilbert is in year 2. He's in my math class.) _"_ Francis looked at Matthew with weird look, and raised one of his eyebrows.

 _" **Qu'est qu'il fait dans ta classe de premiere année ?** _ (What's he doing in a first year class?) _"_

 _"J **e sais pas. Il doit encore refaire la course parce qu'il n'a pas reçu un bon note, ou quelque chose comme ça.** _ (I don't know. He has to redo the course again because he didn't get a good mark, or something like that.) _"_

 _" **Hm, vraiment ?**_ (Hm, really?) _"_

 _" **Ouais. Je dois l'enseigner parce qu'il a recu mauvais note sur notre dernière teste.** _ (Yeah. I have to teach him because he got a bad mark on our last test.) _"_ Francis looked at Matthew curiously, not knowing what test his son was talking about. Matthew bit his bottom lips. He had forgotten to even inform his father about it.

 _" **Qu'est-ce que t'as réussi?** _ (What did you get ?) _"_

 _" **…Un 97%.** _ (A 97%) _"_

 _"Ah, oui?"_ Francis broke into another warm smile. _" **C'est excellent, Mathieu! Bon travail!**_ **(** That's excellent, Matthew! Good work!) _"_

 _" **Merçi, Papa** , _(Thanks, Papa,) _"_ Matthew replied bashfully. There was a small pause between them.

 _" **Qu'est-ce qu'Alfred fait à l'école? Est-ce qu'il fait tous ces travailles d'école?** _ (What does Alfred do at school? Does he do his school work?) _"_

 _" **Oui. Il fait**_ ** _presque_ _tous ces travaille._ (**Yes. He does **almost** all of his work.) _"_ Matthew said with a chuckle.

 _" **Comment-fait Arthur?** _ (How is Arthur?) _"_ Matthew almost choked on the orange juice at this question, and paused before putting his glass down. Why does his father want to know how his Dad was doing?

He didn't know how to respond, because he felt that if he were to say something wrong, then his _Papa_ might go back to drinking. Even though he doesn't like the fact, Matthew could agree with Alfred that Arthur was the main reason why Francis drinks and keeps himself busy. He hates thinking that way because he doesn't like blaming his Dad for his _Papa_ 's problems…even he may be one of the cause.

 _" **Il fait bon dehors, n'est-ce pas?** _ (Isn't it nice outside?) _"_ Matthew asked quickly, diverting the question. Francis looked at him questioningly, but he didn't seem to care about how Matthew suddenly changes the subject.

 _"Oui…"_ Francis replied back unsurely.

 _" **Je dois aller, Papa,**_ (I have to go, Papa,) _"_ Matthew got up from his chair and placed the plate in the sink. He quickly made a hasty exit. "I'll see you later, maybe. I'll call you if I decide to come late. Bye!"

Before Francis could answer, Matthew was out the door and making his way towards the bus stop. He hesitated when he shut the door, and was regretting not letting his father responds back, much less give him a quick peck on the cheek as a 'bye' like he used to usually do. But now a day, it was quite different between the two of them. Like they was more of a distance between them…

* * *

Matthew is extremely grateful that they were signs to show where the school's library was located. However, he was not grateful about how big the entire thing was. Located on the other side of the school, not only was it huge, but it also had two floors, a computer department for those who need to use a computer, and study rooms scattered here and there. There were hundreds-if not, thousands- of rows of bookshelves that touched the ceiling, filled with most likely single books published in the world, and these huge dictionaries and encyclopaedia that makes Matthew wonder who would actually read them.

Now, Matthew has a new task to fulfill: he needs to find his second year idiot before he gets lost in the pile of books and magazines. He really wished he had asked Gilbert for his phone number yesterday. It would have saved him the trouble from tiring his legs out by walking around the whole library searching for him.

Matthew sighed as he tugged on his bag strap and started to walk. _Where is he?_ Matthew thought, and was about to venture off once more until he heard a voice.

"HEY MATTHEW! UP HERE!" The voice yelled out loud, even though they were in the library. Matthew stopped what he was doing, and he felt his face heat up when he saw how many people were staring above him, then down towards him. Gritting his teeth, he re-adjusted his glasses and glanced up towards the direction where the voice came from.

"Oh…" Matthew whispered softly to himself when he looked at the second floor that over-viewed the first. He found his second year idiot. Or, at least, his second year idiot found him.

He was on the second floor, near the staircases that led there, and was staring down at Matthew with amusement in both his crimson eyes. On the week-ends, students are free to wear whatever they would like on the school grounds, as long as they had their student ID with them at all times. Gilbert must really take "advantage" of this, because he was wearing (you most likely have guessed it) a band shirt, black jeans with those ridiculous chains along the belt, black converse…is his whole closet filled with black clothing or something? What was he aiming for, the badass gothic look? He looked he walked out of a Hot Topic store. There was a small glint of something metallic around his neck- Matthew guess it was his necklace that he showed him. Against his pale skin, you could point him out a mile away with those clothes. He was leaning against the railing with both his arms folded, his rumpled, snow-white hair looking as messy as usual, and he had that cute –er, Matthew meant _stupid_ \- grin plastered on his face.

" _Shhhh!_ " Said the librarian, who was glaring at mostly Gilbert than at Matthew. He could tell right away that the librarian did **not** enjoy Gilbert's presence in the least. Matthew mouthed a silent 'sorry' before turning his attention towards the boy.

He quickly scrambled up the staircases, greeting Gilbert with a glare. The other just returned the look with a laugh…or a cackle.

"Kesesese! What's wrong, Birdie? Woke up on the wrong side of the bed?" He taunted, still grinning. This made Matthew snap. Doesn't he know what to say and when to say it?

"No," Matthew said with a growl. _Why does he always speak in that irritating tone? Why do I have to be here in the morning? Why couldn't I have just stayed home instead? I want to go home, and go to my warm bed, and I want to freaking go to sleep!_

"Then smile, Mattie!" Gilbert said, patting his hand on his shoulder. Matthew smacked his hand away, still glaring at him.

"Damn! You must be really pissed off if you're smacking the awesome me," Gilbert chuckled, shaking his hand a bit. "Hey! I bet the awesome me can make you smile during the time that we're here! Care to bet on it?"

"I highly doubt it," Matthew said with toxic in his voice, turning his back on Gilbert.

"Now you sound like you have a stick up your ass like Ludwig."

"…We're here to study, aren't we?" Matthew said deadly serious. "Where do you want to sit?"

"Chill, Birdie!" He said lightly, still lying on the railing with one arm. He then stood up properly and grabbed Matthew by the wrist. The blonde jolted in surprise at Gilbert's remarkably cold touch, but did not lash it out. Gilbert did not notice how Matthew was staring at his hand with wide eyes, and started to drag Matthew behind him. "There's a study room that's free. We can go there!"

The two of them ventured through the rows of books, making their way towards the small room. Matthew noticed how many people were staring at them-or, Gilbert, at least. They were all either glaring at him, or had this look of pity for Matthew (but some girls were giggling as they passed by them). Matthew ignored them as he did with the stares he received from his Math class. When they entered the small room, there were two long, rectangular shaped tables that where side by side vertically. On the other side of the door that they entered, there was a wall, with a plank that said _'Study Room #23'_ (This made Matthew wonder if there were more and where the hell they were scattered). The other walls were made up of just glass so that people could see inside the room, and vice versa.

Matthew felt Gilbert's cold hands release his wrist, causing him to draw his attention towards him. Strangely, he just kept staring at him

"Earth to Birdie! Do you copy?" Gilbert said, waving his hands exaggeratedly. Matthew blinked his eyes, returning his attention to what was going on in the present time, before sitting down on the chair opposite of Gilbert.

"What were you staring at?" Gilbert asked, before showing off a cocky smirk. He then ran his hand through his tousled hair, winked like those hot-shot actors and said dramatically, "My rugged, sexy-awesome looks?"

"Pfft." Matthew tried his best not to laugh at how ridiculous Gilbert seemed when he said those words, but let a smile slide. "What rugged, sexy-awesome looks am I supposed to see? There are none." Gilbert just smiled at Matthew's retort, and leaned on the table.

"Hey, look! You're smiling! I got you to smile, Birdie!" As a joke, Matthew quickly replaced his smile with a thin line, and replied back emotionlessly.

"What smile?" He asked as he placed his bag to the ground.

"Wow. Really Matthew? What are you trying to pull?"

"I'm not pulling anything. And, I have no idea what you mean when you said that I was just smiling." Gilbert looked at him with a look that said 'oh, you want to play that way, huh?'

"You know, you shouldn't be acting all pissed off like how Mr. Kirkland is," Gilbert said, standing up from his chair and folded his arms behind him. "He always has this grumpy face, like he doesn't know how to smile."

"Oh?" Matthew said, placing his head on one of his hands, interested at how this boy viewed his father as.

"Yeah," Gilbert continued on, pacing a bit back and forth. "Not only that, but he'd speak to us in those British accent. Was he born and raised in England or something?"

"Uh, from what he told me and Alfred…no, sorry… I meant Alfred and I, he was born in England, and stayed there for four years. Then his family moved somewhere in Wales for about two years, before moving here in Canada."

"What you just said! That too! He'd always correct me whenever I say 'me and Roderich' he'd always be like," Gilbert paused, looking directly at Matthew with murderous eyes. He then proceeded to make the worst British-accent ever heard, and shrieked out, " _It is_ _ **'Roderich and I'**_ _!_ _ **Roderich and I,**_ _Gilbert!_ "

He placed both his hands on his hips, started to tap his left foot irritably as he made a grumpy face. "He always says it in this pose, and he'd always make it sound like it was the end of the world whenever I say 'me and Roderich!"

"Not only that, but people have caught him talking to himself. But, he makes it seem like he's actually talking to someone else. He'd always mutter something like ' _Oh, really now Tinker Bell? My, my, that's terrible what Hook did. Would you like some tea, love? Oh, it's dreadful what you had to go through that. What was that, Unicorn? I know, right? Absolutely terrible, am I right Flying-Mint Bunny?_ '"

He then did a motion as if he was taking a sip out of a cup of tea, his pinkie sticking out. As much as Matthew would love to deny it, the fact that his father would start talking to himself is well known throughout the family and his close friends. And how Gilbert was able to impersonate Arthur that way is just hilarious for Matthew, because that's exactly what he'd say. He and Alfred had asked Arthur once whom he was talking to when they were younger.

Their Dad simply told them like it was quite obvious that he was talking to a bunch of fairies and Mr. Flying Mint Bunny (this, obviously, made them think that he was having one of his moments because of all the stress that he receives from them and work, and gave him space from then on). Matthew did his best to stifle another laugh, but let a smile slip.

"Interesting, Gilbert, that _that_ is how you see me as," said a sudden voice with a British-accent from the doorway. Although, it was meant to sound like a British-accent, it wasn't as accurate as it can be, but the voice was deep enough to resemble Arthur's. The sound of the voice made Gilbert literally jump up 1 foot in the air, his eyes shoot right open and a small, shriek _._

This reaction caused Matthew to burst out laughing. He held his breath as both he and Gilbert looked at the doorway leading into the Study Room, where the voice came from.

"Vash! What was that for?" Gilbert yelled taking in a deep breath of relief when he found out it wasn't Mr. Kirkland. Matthew saw a boy that must have been a year older than him.

He had rosy white skin, and blonde hair that went a little bit below his chin, with front bangs. His body was slim, but he had noticeable muscles on his arms. His bland, blue eyes that just stared back at Gilbert neutrally, with not a hint of emotion. He was at least not dressed up in some weird get up like Gilbert was- he had a cameo shirt on with the sleeves rolled up to his elbow, and the usual pair of blue jeans. However, what caught Matthew's attention about him was the black necklace that he was wearing around his neck. It had quite a feminine touch, especially with the small, white handmade Lily pendant on it.

"No apparent reason," the boy replied, and Matthew noted the German accent he had too. He walked into the room, his back straight like that of a sergeant, and made his way towards the table that the duo was sitting at. Something about him reminded Matthew too much of Mr. Lars. "I felt like screwing with you."

"I can't believe that I was stupid to actually think that you were Mr. Kirkland for a second, especially with that accent," Gilbert muttered, running his hand through his snow-white hair pathetically. "Whatcha doing here anyway, Vash? I'd imagine you already did all your homework the night before." Matthew looked at Gilbert questioningly. _Did he just call him_ _ **vache**_ _?_ Matthew thought. _As in…the French word for_ _ **cow**_ _?_

"It's Basch, Gilbert," the young boy said, but still neutrally. "Basch. Not 'Vash'. After hanging out with me for more than one year, you still can't say my actual name?"

"Hey, I'm not the only one who calls you 'Vash'. Basically everyone does. And it's your fault for not speaking up properly when you told me, Roderich, and Elizabetha your name." Basch just kept staring at Gilbert, making Gilbert surrender his hands up. "What? It suits you, too. And, it's awesome, and this is coming from the awesome himself! You don't always see international students from Switzerland named 'Vash' and who's seems to know everything about weapons and guns and shit!"

Basch shook his head, ignoring the albino loudness and took notice of the young blonde that was seated in the chair across from Gilbert.

"Who's he?" Basch asked, tilting his head towards Matthew, who just stared back at him.

"This is Matthew. You know how Mr. Kirkland has two sons that started to attend this Academy this year, right? He's one of them."

"Um, nice to meet you Basch." Matthew said smiling a bit, but embarrassed at how Gilbert introduced him.

"Same," Basch replied with a little nod.

"So, tell me Vash, where the hell did you get **that** from?" Gilbert mocked, pointing at the necklace the young Swiss was wearing. For the first time since the few minutes that Matthew has met him, Basch actually showed a bit of expression. There was a light blush that grew on his cheeks, and he looked away bashfully.

"My sister, Lillian, made it for me," he muttered, not looking at Gilbert.

"Oh, right! You have a younger sister in Year 1, huh? I think she's in our Math class, right Matthew? Your last name is Zwingli, right?" Matthew nodded in agreement with Gilbert, much to his surprise. The more that he thought about it, there were a lot of similarities between the two…especially how their hair was the same colour and similar hairstyle.

"Yes…" Basch answered, suddenly glaring at Gilbert suspiciously.

"Hey, why are you looking at the awesome me that way?" Gilbert asked, catching his glare. "Do you have some sort of trust issue with me? You look at me like I did something to your sister!"

"…Knowing you, you might have."

"W-What that's supposed to mean?!" Gilbert yelled furiously.

"Speaking of," Basch continued, ignoring Gilbert's question. "Did either of you two have seen Lilli anywhere here?" There was a hint of worry in his voice when he spoke those words.

"No, we haven't," Matthew replied, cutting Gilbert off before he can yell out a reply. He continued, "Why?" Basch bit his bottom lip nervously; worry clear in his blue eyes.

"She told me that she and two other friends of hers would be going to the school's library in the morning," he replied.

"So?" Gilbert asked. "If she said she's in the library, she'll be here. Do you have trust issues with your own sister too?"

 _Why does he ask the most idiotic questions?_ Matthew thought.

"No, I don't. I'm just worried about her safety. She's new to this country, and has never left home in Switzerland before. Plus, her friends are quite…" Basch did not finish his sentence, as he was trying to figure out a decent word to describe his sister's friends.

"It's like you put her in house arrest or something," Gilbert joked. "You can't be that protective of her all the time."

"She's in poor health. Her health was, and still isn't the best. I need her to be safe during her time here."

Matthew continued to stare at the young boy, listening attentively. He smiled at his pure words. Although he doesn't seem like it, he's actually really caring and kind. The only problem is how he carries out his words in that neutral voice and expression.

"What's up with her friends?" Gilbert asked curiously.

"I don't know much. She said that one is from here, but was born and raised in Belarus for a while. Her name is something like Natalia. The other one is from somewhere in south Africa, I think? I think Lilly said she was from Seychelles. Hers is Michelle. Ever heard of them?" Matthew immediately recognised the name Natalia. It must be that platinum, long-haired girl that had that glare in her eyes. He didn't know her personally, so he really can't tell if she's cruel or actually nice. But, she seems alright...

"Oh yeah!" Gilbert said, snapping his fingers. "I think I know the Natalia you're talking about! She's in our Math class too. I don't know her personally, but she doesn't seem bad. So what's the real problem?"

"…Natalia is Ivan's younger sister." Gilbert choked on his own saliva when he heard what Basch had just said, and was hacking. Matthew almost did too. It seemed likely that she and Ivan are siblings, but their last names aren't the same. His was Braginski and hers was Arlovskaya. Unless, it could be that she uses their mother's maiden name instead.

"Whoa there!" Gilbert said, his hand making a 'stop' motion. "Hold up! Doesn't he already have an older sister who works at school? Isn't she Ms. Braginski from the Social Science department? Now there's another one!"

"Ms. Braginski is not bad at all, Gilbert. She's really kind. But, we both know how Ivan is, and I don't even know his younger sister. So that's why I'm just keeping an eye on Lilli, just for today."

Gilbert had this suspicious and grave look on his face, just like he had when he was confronting Ivan in the hallway the previous day. This look struck a spark of interest in Matthew. He had no idea what's between Gilbert and Ivan, but he couldn't help but feel the need to know. It was quite nosy of him, since it was none of his business. But he still feels the urge to ask.

"You go, man," Gilbert said as he patted his friend's back. "I can't help you find her, since I have a study session here with Birdie. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Yes…see you another time." And with that, the Swiss went out of the study room, marching out with his back straight and head held high.

Gilbert took a seat on the plastic chair, and brought his bag up to the chair beside him. He looked at Matthew, who was following the Swiss out the exit of the room.

"Hey, Birdie," Gilbert said, drawing Matthew's violet eyes to him.

"Hm?" Matthew replied, staring back at Gilbert.

"I caught you smiling again," Gilbert said with a grin.

"Sure you did." Matthew leaned over the table and grabbed Gilbert's backpack. He opened it and took out his Math textbook and supposedly his math notebook (it did have the word ' _Math_ ' on it). He placed it in front of Gilbert, who was looking at him questioningly, and was flipping through his notebook. It was, obviously, blank with no traces of lead anywhere.

"Tell me, Gilbert, what do you know about the unit we were just studying about?" Matthew asked, shutting the notebook. Gilbert looked at Matthew with blank eyes, as if he was in the process of trying to comprehend what Matthew said.

"Well?"

"Uhhhhh…." Gilbert slurred, rubbing his neck with his hand. "Well, you see, we were learning how to do this…and something with exponents and stuff like that…adding and subtracting them…yeah."

"Yeah?" Matthew repeated softly and too nicely, as if coaxing Gilbert to come a bit closer so that he can snap his head of his neck.

"…Yeah, Birdie." He leaned back against his chair with a nervous grin, and was tapping his fingers on the table. They stared at each other for a few minutes. Matthew broke the stare, letting out a tired sigh when he realised that Gilbert had no idea what they learned, and went to the first pocket of his bag to get some pencils and pens.

Matthew had his bet that this session was going to take more than 2 hours.

* * *

"So you have to do this and add these when the equation is additions, okay?"

"Yeah."

"So, when it's an equation with subtraction, you'd have to subtract these two numbers on top. Got it?"

"Yeah."

"Now, with fractions you'd have to do this and this…..okay?"

"Yeah."

"And then, with these equations, you'll have to do this…alright?"

"Yeah."

"Now, you bring this here and here in these cases, and you'll have to follow the order... Okay?"

"Yeah."

"…yeah?"

"…yeah."

"…"

"…"

"Okay, if you understand so much, solve this question then."

"…"

"…Well?"

"….Hey, Birdie, how do we do this again? I forgot."

"…..Are. You. Kidding. Me. Gilbert."

"No, actually, I'm not. I have no idea what the fuck I'm doing."

"…Fine. See, you have to do this…."

This has been going on for around one and a half hour now. They'd been sitting in the same spot for the last hour and a half. Yet, somehow, no matter how many times Matthew has told him repetitively, it seems like Gilbert still had no idea what the hell was going on. Although this was really irritating Matthew, he still couldn't help but actually _like_ the presence of the boy around him.

"Okay," Matthew said tiredly, placing his pencil down. He had explained how to solve these kinds of questions for the millionth time to Gilbert. "Now that I explained this question, can you please solve this one? It's similar to the one I showed you." Gilbert simply nodded, and took the pencil into his hands. He flipped the notebook page over, and started to read through the question in the thick textbook. He wrote the equation down on the page, then paused right there.

"U-Um, Birdie? Can you show me once more…please?" Matthew groaned and let his head fall on top of the table with a loud _Bam!_ Gilbert was way more of a hopeless case than Alfred was. It was so much easier with Alfred because he **will** do the work if you threaten him to delete one of his almost-completed game files on any of his gaming systems he owns.

"How did you even get more than 50% on the test?" He muffled, tilting his head to face Gilbert.

"I just did wild guesses, Birdie," Gilbert said with a nervous chuckle, obviously not proud of that tactic at the moment. Matthew took in a deep breath in frustration, and sat up.

"That's it. I'm not going to help you on this one. You…do this by yourself!" Matthew said, folding his arms and leaning back against the rest. He took off his glasses and placed them on top of his head. They were giving him a head-ache, and if you add Gilbert into the mush, Matthew's head was killing him.

"Aw, but c'mon! Please?" Gilbert pouted, clasping his hands together. Matthew looked at Gilbert, before rubbing one of his temples with his hand.

Rolling his eyes, he took the pencil out of Gilbert's hand (their fingers brushed against each other, Matthew noted) and started to explain once more.

As Matthew was explaining, he noticed how Gilbert was watching him than looking at the piece of paper he was explaining the question on. He had this mysterious, small smile on his face, and his eyes was a mixture of amused and something else.

"So," Matthew said, placing the pencil down. He pointed at one of the questions in the textbook. "Can you do these two pages instead now? You should be able to do these with ease." Gilbert looked at the question and read through it once. Then twice.

Picking up his pencil, he started to right down the equation, applying the steps and such. This went on for the next thirty minutes. Amazingly, it seems like Gilbert was not hesitating at all when it came to answering. His train of thought were fluent as the motion of his pencil on the paper. As creepy as this may sound, Matthew just watched him as he continued to write the answers and punching the numbers on the calculator. He found it funny and, as much as he wants to deny this very much, cute, how Gilbert had this look of sheer concentration.

"Here," he said, tossing the pencil out of his hands as he laid back against the chair. Matthew glared at him suspiciously, and took the notebook off the table. Surprisingly, he actually did the equations properly, and they were all correct.

 _Surprise, surprise_ , Matthew thought, as he looked through the page to try to find mistakes. It was weird how he suddenly seems to have understood everything. Maybe he really is smart and actually got accepted to the school not on a whim, but just acts like an idiot for a reason.

"Okay, good. Looks like you understand. So tell me," Matthew folded his hands together and placed his head on them. "What did you learn?"

"Uh, well, I learned everything that you just taught me…"

"Alright. And what was that exactly?"

"…Wait, do I have to explain everything word by word?"

"Of course! If you can't, we'll be staying here for an extra hour…"

"No, you don't have to," Matthew said, laughing at Gilbert's dumbfounded face. "I was just joking with you." Gilbert sighed in relief as he rolled his shoulders backwards, stretching his arms and back.

"Finally!" Gilbert exclaimed, laying his head against the table.

"Aw," Matthew mocked. "Do you want a massage from all that 'hard' work?"

"Yes please~" Gilbert played along, smirking and gave out a quick wink. Matthew felt his heart skip a beat, and his face being pumped with blood. He diverted his attention by finding an interesting place on the table.

 _That is one fancy table they have here. I wonder what it's made of_ , Matthew thought forcefully, trying not to think much about how he was reacting. _Don't give it too much thought, Matthew. You always blush whenever people even make eye contact with you. This is totally normal._

"Hey, Birdie," Gilbert said, playing with Matthew hand a bit, tossing it between his hands. "Are you going directly home now, or what?"

"I'm not sure," Matthew replied, taking his hand out of the other's grasp. "I might. Why?"

"U-Uh," Gilbert stuttered, not looking directly at Matthew, much to Matthew's confusion as to why. "Do you, maybe, want to…you know…join me for lunch?"

"U-Um," Matthew stuttered out, suddenly experiencing an odd feeling when Gilbert asked. "Sure, I guess-"

" _Riiiiiinnnnnngggggg!"_ His cell phone shrilled in his pocket, scaring the living daylights out of both of them. Matthew awkwardly grabbed his phone out of his pocket, scolding himself for not putting it on vibration mode.

"Hello?" He asked between gritted teeth, a hint of irritation in his tone.

"Heyy Mattie!" Said the caller in an unusual hushed tone.

"Al?" Matthew asked, wondering why the hell he was calling.

"Yeah dude!" Strangely enough, Matthew felt extremely pissed at Alfred for calling at this exact moment.

"What is it that you want?" Matthew said between gritted teeth as he turned away from the albino. "I'm in the library, if you must know, with Gilbert." Over the other line, he could hear his brother gasp dramatically.

"You were serious when you said that you were going there?!" Alfred yelled into the phone.

" _Shh…Alfred-san, please, we're in the library…_ " Said another hushed voice from over the line, before Alfred told the other to 'shh!'

"Is that Kiku?" Matthew asked confused, before he started to piece everything together. "The library...Are you at the school's library?"

"Uhhhh, nooo," Alfred said, trying to sound as innocent as possible.

"Uh-huh. I so believe you, Alfred," Matthew said, peeking out the window that separated the room from the library. He scanned through the area where he can see. "Where are you exactly?"

"…Not outside the study room #23, that's for sure bro."

"How do you know I'm in that specific place?" Matthew asked for no apparent reason, already knowing for sure that his younger brother was somewhere around there. He then noted a random, blonde strand of hair sticking out from the rest of a blonde muss…

"Alfred, those sunglasses won't help disguise you. And that book you're reading is upside-down."

The boy with the blonde hair quickly flipped his book the right way, and took off his sunglasses, making direct eye contact with Matthew. Alfred gave off another one of his brilliant, a million megawatts smiles, and waved his hand in a 'what-a-pleasant-surprise!' way. Beside him, Kiku just did a face-palm. Matthew did the courtesy of waving back, before cutting off the line.

"Um, Birdie?" Gilbert curiously posed, putting his books in his backpack. Matthew sighed as he returned his view towards him.

"Sorry, Gilbert, I can't go with you." Matthew heaved his bag on his shoulders. "I've got to…take care of something. I'll see you on Monday, okay?"

"Uh, Monday? Sure, Matthew, but -" Gilbert said, following behind the blonde.

"Make sure to study a bit tomorrow. Okay?" Matthew responded quickly, stopping the other on his tracks.

"…Yeah, sure," Gilbert mumbled.

"Sorry about interrupting you. Did you want to say something?"

"Oh, um, I just wanted to say thanks and sorry," Gilbert responded. "You know, for putting up with me today…"

"Putting up with you?"

"Yeah. I wasted, like, 2 hours of your time because I'm really stupid and-"

"You know, you shouldn't say things like that," Matthew replied softly. "It's not good. And, it's not like I'm mad at you or anything. I'll be mad if you don't pass the test on Monday." Gilbert just let out a small chuckled as he took a step forward.

"Of course, Birdie," Gilbert beamed with his signature smirk, coming way too close to Matthew, playfully twirling that one, curly strand of strawberry blonde hair that stuck out upwards. Matthew could feel yet another annoying blush growing on his face. He was biting his lower lip embarrassingly, trying to calm down his beating heart. Why was he feeling this way? This feeling is completely foreign to him.

Gilbert looked like he was about to continue talking, before something hit him on the head, forcing his hand to retreat. Matthew started at the object –a pink eraser- in surprise, and glanced over at the direction where it was shot at. So did Gilbert. It came from Alfred's direction, who made it obvious it was him quickly hid his face behind the book he was reading. Now Matthew was red with embarrassment.

"Hey, is that-" Gilbert said, glaring at the blonde behind the book suspiciously.

"I have to go," Matthew interrupted. "See you on Monday." Before Gilbert could reply, Matthew made a beeline towards the blonde at the table. From the corner of his eyes, he could see the albino shrug, and started to walk way.

"Alfred," Matthew started seriously when he came close enough to the table Alfred and Kiku were sitting at. Alfred just grinned stupidly.

"Oh, hey Mattie! What a…coincidence!" Alfred said, faking a surprise. Kiku shook his head disappointingly at Alfred's acting before looking at Matthew with his same, stoic expression.

"Hello, Matthew-san."

"Hi, Kiku. Let me guess: Alfred dragged you here to spy on me for the past 2 hours?" To this, Kiku shook his head.

"No, I didn't know he would be here until I came an hour ago. I only came to borrow books for science…"

"It was a good thing you did, too, Kiku!" Alfred exclaimed, ignoring the fact that they were in the library. A few people turned their head at his voice, mostly with annoyance in their eyes.

"Shush, Alfred." Matthew said, obviously equally annoyed. "Why are you spying on us?" Alfred just looked at his elder brother with big, blue puppy eyes.

"Spying?" Alfred said innocently. "I simply wanted to see my only brother…"

"Uh-huh," Matthew replied blandly. It was obvious that Alfred will not speak now. He pinched his cheek and pulled on it a bit.

"Owowowow!" Alfred cried as his mouth stretched, getting off his chair to stand on the same level as Matthew. "Stawp it Mattiiiie!"

"Come on, we're leaving," Matthew sternly said, and started to drag his brother by his cheek, who was trying to not trip over is foot. Alfred glanced over at Kiku, and waved his arms exaggeratedly.

"Noooo, waaaiiiit! Kiiiikuuu, heeeelp meee!" he cried. Kiku, however, sensed that he should not interfere.

"Bye Matthew-san and Alfred-san," Kiku said, smiling and waving his hand at the brothers.

"Later Kiku," Matthew replied with a quick nod, before he continued to drag Alfred. Alfred, however, continued to say 'Owowowow' during their little trip out the door. On the way, many were looking at them, and they had these mocking looks on their faces. Matthew did his best to ignore their snickers until they made it outside the library, in the hallway. He then halted, and let go of Alfred. His brother rubbed his cheek sorely when Matthew let go.

"Alfred," Matthew started seriously.

"Matthew~" Alfred replied in a singsong way. He caught the look in his brother's eyes, and wiped the grin off his face.

"Why did you come?" Matthew said straight to the point. Alfred looked at him for a moment, before sighing.

"I was just checking on you," Alfred muttered, not looking at Matthew.

"Why?"

"Isn't it obvious why?" Alfred said with an edge in his tone. "You were with… ** _him_**."

"I'm sorry, but can you please be more specific?"

"With that… dude!" Alfred stubbornly said.

"Gilbert." Matthew replied.

"Yeah, him."

"No-no. Repeat after me Alfred. Gil-bert."

"…Yeah, _Gilbert_."

"Good little brother," Matthew said, patting his brother on his head. "You know and can finally say his name!" Alfred tsked annoyingly.

"Not funny, Mattie," Alfred said sternly. "You know I don't like that guy."

"Why?"

"Because!" Alfred cried childishly.

"Because…?" Matthew asked.

"Mattie! I just…don't trust him." Matthew crossed his arms.

"So? Why do you have to spy on us?"

"I was not spying; I was just making sure he wasn't going to do anything to you."

"Alfred, you make it seem like he was about to fucking feel me up."

"He seems like the type to do that," Alfred said truthfully.

"Well, I'll assure you, he is not the type to do that," Matthew replied, as they started to walk down the hall.

"What was he doing to you before? He was way too close to you!"

"So what?" Matthew muttered uncomfortably. His heart skipped a beat when he remembered the distance between them, and the same foreign feeling crept through him.

"Couldn't you tell from the look in his eyes? You should be glad I interrupted."

"No, I'm not glad actually," Matthew mumbled with a grimace. "That was really childish of you and embarrassing for me."

"How is it embarrassing for you? He's not anything special for you to worry about embarrassing yourself in front of him." Alfred paused, and stopped on his tracks. He glanced at Matthew who was a few steps ahead and was looking at him. "Or is he something special to you?"

"Of course he's not special to me!" Matthew blubbered out uneasily, turning his back on his brother. "Why would you think that?"

"Good. Just asking," Alfred sighed with relief.

"You know, you act like you're the protective, responsible older brother between the two of us." Matthew said with a small laugh.

"Hehehe," Alfred chuckled nervously, looking away from his brother. " _Responsible_ …yeah, sure, I'm so responsible. But, I'm glad I'm not the older brother between the two of us, since, you know, the eldest will always be able to save the younger one's ass in _certain_ situations, like, oh I don't know, forgetting to bring extra bus fare for the trip back home."

"…you forgot your fare, didn't you?"

"Er, yeah…Can you pay for me…?"

"…"

"…Please?"

"…Fine," Matthew sighed, shaking his head disapprovingly as he continued to walk down the hallway. Alfred caught up to him, and hugged Matthew from behind.

"Thanks, big bro!" Alfred said cheerfully, squeezing his older brother around his stomach.

"O-Okay, Alfred," Matthew choked out. "L-Let go-o of me, you're s-squeezing me!" Alfred stopped clinging on to him, as he let out one of his laughs.

"Awe, but why?" Alfred pouted light-heartedly as they exited the building.

"Do you not know how muscular you are? It's bone-crushing!"

"Ha! You're so weak, Mattie! Not only that, you have them hips of yours! It's funny how you can still play hockey with that figure!"

"…Screw it. For that pointless comment yours, I'm not paying for your bus fare."

"What! H-Hey, Mattie! I was only joking, dude! Relax. Seriously, Matt! Hey, wait up! Oh, c'mon bro! Please? Pretty please?!"

And so, they continued to walk along the sidewalk, with the brothers' constant yelling and talking, which greatly annoyed the others. And for those wondering…yes, in the end Matthew did end up paying for Alfred's bus fare.

 


	10. Hanging Out Isn't That Bad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter were the plot doesn't really move forward :') Next chapter it will, though.
> 
> Thank you guys so much for reading, subscribing, giving kudos, and commenting on this story! It really help motivate me knowing there are people who read my story :D
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter, but be warned; since I like it when other characters interact with each other in a normal, day to day way, I've included a snippet of them talking; hopefully you guys don't mind it!

It's been a while since their 'study date', as one may call it. Matthew ended up at his Dad's house for the weekend thanks to Alfred's constant persistence. When the weekend was done, and classes resumed like always, Gilbert did have to take the re-test after school. The following day, he received his results…a 60%.

_"60?" Matthew asked in surprise as Gilbert waltzed down the rows of desks, grinning with pride and showed him his paper._

_"I know, right?!" Gilbert exclaimed proudly as he took his seat. He passed Matthew over the papers, allowing him to examine his errors._

_"And you're proud of this?" Matthew questioned, noticing all the careless mistakes the youth made._

_"Well, yeah," Gilbert replied, looking at Matthew confusingly. "Why wouldn't I?"_

_"But…This is below 70," he said, giving the German back the test._

_"So?" The albino said, trying to see Matthew's point. "I'm glad, as long I pass the 60 mark and I didn't fail." Matthew only raised an eyebrow at this, but didn't say anything._

He wasn't trying to seem like some pompous brat, but he usually wonders why people would limit themselves to receive these marks, when they can obviously do much better. This is especially the case with Alfred. His brother was smart, but he rather fool around and cram in the last minute. And this is most likely the same case with Gilbert, but he rather be sleeping or do something else instead of learning. To each their own, Matthew concluded - just because he at good at many things doesn't mean others have to be as well; they probably are better at things that Matthew is bad at.

 _Why am I thinking about him now?_ Matthew thought furiously, shaking his head a bit, but not too vigorously as to catch everyone's attention. At the moment, he was in his 2nd period French class, seated in the last row from the teacher's desk, beside one of the windows. They had a small quiz that particular day, and so all the students were working away on it.

Of course, being the genius student Matthew was, he had already finished the two and a half pages of the quiz. All he had left to do as his classmates complete their work, is to read. He could have read the assigned book for the course (a very compressed version of Victor Hugo's _Les Miserables_ ), but instead, Matthew decided to finish the book he was nearly finished. Somehow that seemed to be quite difficult for Matthew. Recently, Matthew was having thoughts about Gilbert. They were sudden thoughts that popped out of nowhere, at the random time.

 _'She glanced over at the young boy with beautiful crimson eyes and silver hair that shone against the moonlight',_ Matthew read, focusing his attention to the phrases printed on the cream coloured page. Unfortunately, his mind started to drift off towards something else as he read that line. _Crimson eyes and silver hair…Gilbert…_ A sudden image of him flashed through Matthew's mind. And to Matthew, he was left in a trance at the beauty of the image.

When he realised how his thoughts once again drifted off towards the second year student, he closed both his eyes frustratingly. Heaving in a breath, he continued to read on the passage.

_'She glanced over at the young boy with beautiful crimson eyes and silver hair that shone against the moonlight. He walked up towards her; the faint scent of his cologne wafted through the air. He hesitated slightly as he lifted his hand. She didn't flinch at the feeling of his cold fingers against her cheeks. Instead, she entered a trance as she stared deep into his eyes. He then whispered something sweetly that only she can hear. "I love you," he whispered gently into her ear.'_

_"I love you," Gilbert whispered gently into Matthew's ear_.

 _Whoa there,_ Matthew thought shockingly, the book dropping out of his hand as his eyes widened in disbelief. _Where the hell did that come from?_ He immediately shut the book, before his imagination can run anymore wilder, placed a hand over his forehead. He was really disturbed about what he had just thought a moment ago.

 _Gilbert, saying that he loves me?_ Matthew thought crossly, as he stared out the window. _Why? Why brain? Stop making me think this way! The thought of Gilbert saying he loves me is just…AH! IT'S INHUMAN AND I SHOULDN'T BE THINKING THIS AT ALL!_

As Matthew thought about how crazy he was of thinking that way (and a few people were glancing at him, thinking that he was, indeed, crazy from his facial expression), his eyes were drawn on the field. From where his French class was located at, he was able to see the outdoor track and field very well. And so, he was able to see the Gym class that was using the field at the moment.

He watched as the students –it was a second year Male Phys. Ed class- were scattered across the field. Half were wearing the regular uniform shirt, while the other half had to wear red bandannas around their arm. They were playing a game of soccer, and from the looks of it, both teams were dead serious to win. The ball was being passed between the players with the red bandannas, and the players playing forward were quickly closing in on the no bandannas goal.

Amongst the players that were on the opposite team, there was one that caught his attention. It was most likely because of his distinct snowy hair that caught his attention…or the fact that he was the only one not wearing the gym uniform and instead is wearing a tight black tank top that really showed off his broad and muscular arms, with his lean build with his red gym shorts. And it was quite tight against his body too, showing off the curves on his hips.

From where he was, Matthew could also see who was talking and to whom. He watched as there was a quick dash of electrifying white right in front of the opposite player with the ball. Swiftly, Gilbert was able to take the ball out of the other's foot. Another opposite forward player tried his best to retrieve the ball, but his speed could not match that of the German. There was one player open, and he quickly passed it, making sure he ran up closer to the net to receive it once more. As soon as he got to the edge of the goalie's box, the goalie was running towards him to grab the ball. Gilbert must have seen him coming, because with a sudden turn, he was able to go around the goalie with the ball and-BAM! - hit the ball from where he was at. The ball shot across the air, and went directly into the net.

The opposite team looked disappointingly at the net, while Gilbert just flashed a grin as he high-fived his teammates who were cheering. He jogged back to his side in triumph, still so proud of himself for scoring that goal.

Gilbert glanced up towards the windows, as if sensing he was being watched. When he looked up towards the window where Matthew was peering through, he caught the blonde looking at him.

Matthew in turn, just quickly turned his head, as if trying to cover up the fact he was gazing. But, from the corners of his eyes, at the sight of him, Gilbert's smile just widened and he started to wave towards him. Matthew couldn't help but shyly wave back a bit at him.

When Gilbert confirmed that it was Matthew who was looking at him, he seemed like he was about to yell something up at him. That was, before one of the boys yelled at him on the field to pay attention, drawing his gaze away from Matthew. Gilbert quickly did a quick salute to signify that he had to go, and started to run down the field to take his position. Matthew just continued to gaze at him, as the game continued and he ran up and down the field.

" _Est-ce que t'aime ce que tu vois, Mathieu ?_ (Do you like what you're seeing, Matthew?)"

" _Oui_ ," Matthew responded automatically at the question, not realising who had asked him and how he was caught watching the guys. He widened his eyes at his own response even, and he turned around to look at the person beside him. It was his teacher, M. Nzié, who was smiling down at his response. Matthew felt his face starting to heat up quickly, and he was sure a crimson blush had already formed on his cheeks, and may soon spread. And it did when he saw people were looking at him funnily. How embarrassing…

" _Er…je…je…_ (Er…I…I...)" Matthew stuttered, trying to find an excuse to say. M. Nzié just chuckled, as he fixed his glasses.

" _Tu as regardé comme si t'était dans les nuages. Il y a 15 minutes qui reste. Est-ce que tu as fini avec le quiz?_ (You looked like you were in the clouds. There is 15 minutes left. Are you finished with the quiz? _"_

 _"O-Oui,_ " Matthew muttered, giving the papers and giving them to the teacher. M. Nzie accepted them with a nod, and continued down the aisle to ask the students if they were finished. He placed his face into his folded arms, trying to wave off his embarrassment. He felt like killing himself after that answer. _So embarrassing_ …

It was the longest 15 minutes Matthew must have ever experience, and the moment the bell rang for the start of lunch, Matthew made a hasty exit towards his locker. He sighed in relief when he escaped the tense air in the classroom. When he arrived to his destination, he noticed a small piece of paper sticking out of one of the slots in his locker. He opened the locker, and a piece of folded paper fluttered out, landing on the ground.

Matthew leaned down to pick the piece off the floor, and opened the fold. There was writing on the paper, but Matthew couldn't really decipher what it was saying for a moment. He couldn't tell if it was some form of Gibberish or a fail attempt at writing English. Although, after scanning through the messy writing multiple times, he was able to find out the following:

_"Hey, Birdie~!_

_Meet the awesome me during lunch break today, 'Kay :D? At the usual place, too!_

_-From,  
THE AWESOME GILBERT BEILSCHMIDT!"_

Matthew couldn't help but let out a chuckle at the capitalized words and the emoticon. During those past few days, both Matthew and Gilbert had actually started to talk more than just inside the Math class, mostly during lunch and after classes ended for the day.

It started on the day that Gilbert took the make-up test. Gilbert actually begged for Matthew to wait behind for him if he had to stay behind when class was over to finish up the test (he knew that the period given wouldn't have enough for him to complete the whole thing). Oddly, Matthew actually agreed. After Gilbert was finished, they started to talk a bit outside the classroom.

_"Why did you ask me to wait for you?" Matthew asked suddenly as they walked down the hallway of locker-covered walls. He had to go to his locker, and Gilbert decided to accompany him there._

_All Gilbert did was shrug his shoulders to his question. "I might as well hang out with you for a bit. I mean, you will be seeing me a lot to help me out with math anyway."_

_"Oh," Matthew replied, before realising something. "You didn't take the new notes from today, eh? Here, I'll lend you them."_

_"What?" Gilbert whined as Matthew reached into his bag and pulled out his notebook. "More shit to study?"_

_"Well, duh," Matthew said as he pushed the notes against Gilbert's stomach briskly. Unintentionally, his hand went smack right against him, and he took note of how solid his abs were, as creepy as that just sounded. He blushed a bit before blubbering out, "Take them and make sure to copy them down!"_

_Gilbert took them, and flipped the pages to the recent entries. His expression was an expression of bewildered and confused, and his red-coloured eyes looked at Matthew with wide eyes._

_"Do you seriously expect me to understand this, Birdie?" Gilbert said in a pleading tone. "You've got to help me on this, because I have no idea what the hell this is!"_

_"I wonder if you learned anything last year," Matthew muttered, using a finger to slowly rub circles on the sides of his temple at how loud Gilbert was. He softened his expression,"Just copy them down, and I'll help you out tomorrow, okay?"_

_"Well, that's easy Birdie. Can we meet before the math period, since, you know, we'll be learning a new lesson tomorrow?"_

_"Ah, sure," he replied as he opened his locker and took out a red binder, placing it into his bag. "Tomorrow morning, maybe?"_

_"Ooh, sorry Matthew," Gilbert said in a sarcastic tone that sounded like he was supposed to sound sorry. "You know, the awesome me just can't wake up early in the morning. My body has a schedule that I need to follow, and I can never wake up before a certain time."_

_"Which is?" Matthew questioned, locking the locker as he started to walk down the hallway towards the nearby staircase._

_Gilbert made a clicking sound with his mouth, before answering, "Oh, you know. I can't wake up before 8 o'clock in the morning. It's just too hard for me to leave my bed alone before that specific time. Especially on the week-days."_

_"Aw," Matthew mocked with fake sympathy as he placed his hands against his cheeks in an 'Oh no' way. "Well, you're just going to have to learn to wake up early from now on."_

_"Nein, Vögelchen," Gilbert whined, dragging himself after Matthew. "I don't wanna wake up early tomorrow." Gilbert took a slight pause, as if thinking. "Why don't we just use the lunch hour to do that?"_

_"I don't know Gilbert…" Matthew said unsurely, seeing an opportunity to joke around a bit. "You see, I like to use my lunch time to just hang with the gang."_

_"The gang?" Gilbert asked, stifling a small laugh at how Matthew tried to say the sentence in a gangster sort of way._

_"Oh yeah," Matthew replied, twirling around by his heels to face Gilbert in a 'serious' way. "The gang. Consists of yours truly, the leader, obviously, Alfred, Carlos, Ludwig, Kiku, and Feliciano. Sometimes Yong Soo, Tinos, Berwald, and heck, even Emile will be there. Our symbol is the Puffin. Me and my homeboys, we just like to hang around the fifth floor, where nobody dares to go."_

_"What happened to the cafeteria?" Gilbert asked, playing along. "That's where most of the first-years stay for a while before actually going to other places."_

_"Oh, you know…We were screwing around and got ourselves kicked out countless times."_

_"I'm pretty sure that you of all people would get kicked out of somewhere."_

_"I didn't say it was only me. Whenever we're in there, people just can't help but stare at us. That's how much attention we attract, 'cause we're cool like that."_

_"What do you guys do?"_

_"Cause some sort of trouble, that's all. Feliciano being the little rebel he is by sneaking into the kitchen to make some pasta for us, and Alfred and Carlos would get into fist-fights over icecream Carlos got from the convenience store down the road."_

_"Dang, you guys are one hell of a gang. Hell, even Ludwig's part of it, so it must be something."_

_"We are, eh? We have this unlimited amount of awesomeness…Yo."_

_"Kesesese~!" Gilbert ended his laughter, patting Matthew's shoulder. "Oh, Birdie. I need to give you lessons on how to be cool and awesome like me whenever you talk!"_

_"Sure Gilbert. You're 'awesome' and 'cool' alright. And who says I don't talk 'cool'…yo?" Matthew added, crossing his arms._

_"You want me to be honest? You just look adorable when you tried talking like that." Gilbert replied, playfully ruffling his hair._

_"Whatever," Matthew mumbled, brushing his hand away. "So where do we go? The library again?"_

_"No way, Birdie. The place smells like old, crusty books, and are most likely the original copies of something by Charles Dickens himself."_

_"Because it's a library, Gilbert. Of course it will smell like books. And I actually like the smell of them, so I don't understand why you hate it."_

_"I'm fine with new books, but some are printed from as early as the 1850s, or before. It's musty in there."_

_"Okay, fine, not the library. So, where do you want to meet tomorrow?"_

_"Hmm…We can just sit outside, like around the track area, since the weather has been so good recently. I'll come pick you up, okay?"_

_"But, wouldn't that be too distracting-?"_

_"Nope! I won't get distracted at all, Birdie! I'll see ya tomorrow!"_

_"W-Wait, Gilbert-!"_

_"Later Birdie!" He quickly ran off before Matthew could finish, leaving the blonde standing in the foyer once again. Shaking his head at the albino's behaviour, Matthew just walked outside, and waited for Alfred to appear._

Gilbert ended up by Matthew's locker at the beginning of lunch the next day. As he walked down the hallways with his 'Birdie' outside, Matthew couldn't help but notice a bunch of girls who were secretly exchanging photos who were giggling contagiously at the sight of the two youths together (they most likely think that Matthew was Alfred)…creepy thing is, they look similar to the girls in the library…

During the lunch period, they sat down under a tree for shade amongst the others that were lined up near the track. Gilbert would sometimes wander his view towards the field, where some others would be playing American football or some other sport, and Matthew would have to draw his attention back.

And as the days went by, Matthew was able to get used to Gilbert's outrageous questions, whining, annoyance, the way he said 'awesome' and other things a bit more. His tolerance level for the boy has increased a bit. They actually learned a few things about each other during their little conversations here and there. Gilbert found out the little things that Matthew liked, and Matthew learned simple things from his elder.

They actually did exchange phone numbers and Gilbert randomly texted him. Of course, Alfred saw the texts, and gave Matthew this disapproving look, but he ignored him and they had this conversation, which seems more like an inquiry for Matthew.

Knowing where their 'usual place' was, Matthew quickly gathered some things and made his way down to the second level floor. Luckily he packed his lunch, so he doesn't need to go to the cafeteria. He was about to turn the corner, when two girls conversing stopped him.

"No way! Kat, are you serious?!"

"Shh, Fatima, not so loud! People are going to hear you!"

 _Oh maple leaf_ , Matthew thought _. Just girls who are talking about some guy they saw, or something_. Now, normally, Matthew would just walk by, and continue on. However, before he could, something caught his ear, forcing him to stay in place.

"But, I can't believe it! Are you seriously crushing on Gilbert? Are we talking about the same Gilbert here?"

"There is only one hot guy by the name Gilbert Beilschmidt in the whole entire school, Fatima." This pricked Matthew's curiosity, and he lay against the wall, his ears trying to tune into every detail.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm just making sure. But, seriously, Kat? **Gilbert**? If I remember correctly, Elizabetha even said that his photos are one of the top ten most wanted."

"Ha! I remember that! Nobody can deny this though: he's just too hot. I mean, that face is just…! Oh my goodness, and his muscles I just…He's just too much! I melt at the sight of him! But you know, I'm amazed that he never had a girlfriend all throughout last year."

"He's still single, right? I'm pretty sure it's because of his personality. Sure, he's good-looking and all, but he has this big-ass ego that's annoying as fuck."

"That means that I could totally have a chance with him! I mean, no one is actually making a move, so I could totally take that to my advantage and at least try."

Matthew felt a tinge inside of him. An emotion started to suddenly arouse in him…and it wasn't a good feeling either. He couldn't help but really dislike that girl for saying those words, even if he wanted to deny it.

"That's right Kat! You go up to Gilbert, and kiss him right there!" Said the girl (Fatima) sarcastically.

"Kiss him right there? I wish I could kiss him. I bet that he's a great kisser."

"No, no, I don't wanna hear it! C'mon man; I remember Elizabetha sells the photos after school near the stands at the track. Do you want to go check it out?"

"Oh yeah! I'm so going to snag some photos of Gilbert! I'll be sure to meet you there!" The two girls continued to go down the hallway, leaving Matthew to ponder around the corner.

He was still feeling this emotion inside him, and it was slowly taking over his body. _I bet he wouldn't even want to kiss you…_ Matthew widened his eyes in disbelief at his thoughts.

_Wait…what? What… did I just think? Why am I even thinking that way? Why am I feeling and thinking like this? This is so stupid!_

_It's totally cool that she likes Gilbert! Yep, totally cool. It's not my problem if she even kisses Gilbert! But, it's not he'd be willing to do that…will he? Argh, Matthew, stop it. I'm sounding like I'm_ _**jealous** _ _if she does go out with Gilbert. Which, I'm not, by the way. Why would I be_ _**jealous** _ _?_

It was quite obvious that Gilbert was quite popular amongst, well, everyone in the school. Everyone knew his name, and could recognise him right away. If you ask about him, then you'd get a lot of complaints. But, Matthew hadn't actually realise he was hit on most in the school. No wonder he saw girls (and a very few number of guys) staring at him in a daze from afar.

By the time Matthew had walked outside towards the tree they would usually sit at, he was still thinking about what he felt and why he felt it and why he was thinking in a certain way and how useless this whole conversation with himself was. When he got near the tree, he realised that there were already two people standing there, looking up at the tree.

One was a girl, maybe a year older than Matthew, with a pink flower pin on one side of her long, light brown wavy hair that flowed up to her waist. She was wearing the short-sleeves collar shirt that was un-tucked, with the red plaid skirt and white, knee-high socks. Her hands laid on her hips in a serious manner. The other was a boy the same age as the girl, who had dark brown hair, and a strand of hair sticking out. Even though it was warm outside, he wore the long-sleeved shirt with the red vest, and black pants.

"Gilbert, I swear to the kindness of my heart, if you don't give Roderich his music sheets back, I will personally come up there and flatten you with my frying pan!" The girl yelled up to the tree, and Matthew noted the Hungarian accent she carried. Matthew could hear a familiar cackle that drew his attention upwards. There Gilbert was, perched up on branch that was very high up. His legs were swaying back and forth, and he had a bunch of sheets in his hand, which he held tauntingly.

"Kesesese~! What, does Eidelstein need someone else to get his things?"

"I would love to come up there and beat you shitless, Gilbert!" The other boy said in a German-accent. "But unfortunately, I prefer to do other things than dirty my hands by climbing up this tree!"

"What's this? A song?" Gilbert eyes wandered through the page, before a smirk appeared on his face.

"That is for my music class and I am going to be noted on how I play it!" The boy yelled up, marching up towards the tree angrily. "The teacher will deduct points if I lose those sheets! Responsibility counts too!"

"If you want it, come and get it~" Gilbert sang, before he bent backwards to dodge a pinecone that the girl threw at him. "Nice shot, Eliza, but you- Whoa, whoa _,_ _Scheiße_!" He was about to fall off the branch backwards, but he was able to grab a hold of the branch with his hands and he just hung off his legs. Unfortunately, the sheets that he was holding fell out of his grasp, and started to flutter down. The boy gasped, before he caught all the sheets before they were able to fly with the wind. He shuffled through them, making sure he has the all of them, and sighed in relief.

Meanwhile with Gilbert, he was still hanging off his legs, his arms holding on to the branch as some support, craning his neck as to look at the two students. His eyes wandered further, however, and it seemed like his face lit up, and he broke into a bigger smile when he saw Matthew.

"Hey, Birdie!" He greeted loudly and happily as he brought himself up on top of the branch and looked down. "Do you want to join me up here? The view is great!"

The duo that was standing on the ground turned around to face Matthew. He took note of how the boy had glass on, a small mole below his lip, and his pale violet-coloured eyes on his peach coloured face. He had this serious, yet sophisticated air around him. The girl was what anyone call attractive, with her big, emerald green eyes complementing her rosy white complexion, her face shape, and how her long, brown hair just seemed to suit her even more.

When the girl saw Matthew, her eyes shot wide open with a sudden happiness, excitement, and, surprisingly, recognition as she flashed a smile of amazement. She clasped her hands together, and got so close to Matthew that their noses nearly brushed together.

"Are you Matthew? Mr. Kirkland's kid?" She said happily while she got near Matthew, causing him to blush a bit when he said his name. It was eerie that she seemed to have recognised him when he had never seen this girl before. And she didn't mistake him for Alfred either. But, as always, it seemed like she only know him because of his father.

"U-Um," Matthew started, taking a step back away from the weird girl. "Y-Yes, but who-" Before he could continue, the girl started to seemingly examine him, circling him as she looked at him from his shoes to the one curl that stuck out. He could hear her saying "uh-huh", "he was right!", and something about his height.

"Oh it's true; you **are** so cute in person! And you do have violet coloured eyes!" She squealed, as she brought up a silver camera _(wait…where did she get that from?!_ ). "Can I take your picture, please? I'm on the yearbook committee, and we got to take photos for the first-year spread!"

"A-Ah," Matthew stuttered, completely taken aback. He felt a blush forming, and he started to fiddle with his thumbs. He didn't know what she'll do with his picture, but he guessed it was related to school, like the yearbook or something. "S-Sure, I guess…"

"Thank you so much! Smile for the camera, please!" _Click! Click!_ She quickly two photos in an instant, and looked down on the screen. Her eyes had this gleam like she was fantasizing about something. "Aw, I love your smile! It's absolutely adorable!"

"U-Um, not to be rude, b-but who a-are you?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Of course you wouldn't know me," she said with a nervous laugh as she rubbed the back of her neck embarrassingly. "My name's Elizabetha, from Hungary! But, most people call me either Eliza or Liz, but mostly the first. I'm in the same year as the idiot up in the tree, and Roderich." She pointed her thumb in the brown-haired boy's direction beside her.

"Hey, who're you calling a _dummkopf_ , Eliza?!" Gilbert yelled, but was ignored by Elizabetha, who came closer to Matthew.

"I've heard a lot about you, Matthew!"

"You have?" Matthew said, taken by surprise. It's not every day that someone would hear about Matthew, since they may forget him completely.

"Yep!" Elizabetha replied happily, a mysterious smile appearing on her face. "You have a really annoying younger brother named Alfred, you're really cute in person, is really smart and excels academically, specifically math, have this adorable curl that sticks out of the rest of your strawberry blonde waves, have eyes the colour of lavender, likes to eat pancakes with maple syrup, blushes this incredible shade of red that just makes you look even more cute...Shall I go on?"

"W-Wha?" Matthew asked, embarrassed at everything she had said. Okay, what she said physically is true, but it still sounded creepy how she could say all this about someone she never met.

"Oh you know," Elizabetha said, her smile shrinking into a sly smirk. "There is no one in this school that I **don't** know a bit about. And plus…" She leaned into Matthew's ear and said, "Lover-boy up in the tree rants about you 24/7 to me." To this, a profound crimson blush grew on Matthew's cheeks, and he looked away a bit uncomfortably.

Elizabetha giggled, "He was right, you do turn this shade of red when you're embarrassed! And you look really cute like that, too."

"H-Hey! Elizabetha, what are you telling Matthew!" Gilbert yelled uneasily, as he crawled down the tree a bit and landed on his feet perfectly. Elizabetha turned around, and walked up beside Roderich, who was ignoring everything around him in order to memorise the music lines.

"Oh, nothing," Elizabetha said with fake innocence in her voice, this evil glint in her eyes.

"I heard what you say something!" Gilbert continued, walking up to Elizabetha, who also walked up to Gilbert, as if there was no way she was going to back down.

"Not my fault it's all true," Elizabetha said in a singsong way.

"Matthew, don't listen to what she says," Gilbert said, not tearing his menacing glare away from Elizabetha. "She just spurts out some random garbage. You shouldn't have given her your photo, either! You don't know what half the pictures are in that camera of hers and what she does with them-"

"You don't know what art is, Gilbert," Elizabetha scoffed, raising her camera proudly. "This contains the most gorgeous pictures you'll ever see on the face of Earth that I must share with my fellow sisters and brothers who love these, like me! Eroticism with photography is art!"

"More like they are the most gorgeous pictures that people who are weird like you," Gilbert muttered.

"Hey, they go for a _very_ excellent price," she said as she rubbed her hands together in a shady motion. She paused, before continuing with a sneaky smile, "Don't deny it, Gilbert. If I remember correctly, you're the one who asked me to take a picture of your Bi-"

"Shut up! Don't say some random shit, Eliza!" Gilbert interrupted her abruptly, trying to grab the camera out of her hands, but she dodged his grab.

"What did you say again?" Elizabetha taunted, as she continuously dodged Gilbert. "Oh, right! 'H-Hey, Eliza, this is the only time I'm asking you this…a-actually, I-I might ask again b-but… c-can you get me a photo of M-'"

"I said shut up, Eliza!" Gilbert yelled, with redder colour growing on his face, and much more yelling ensued. "And I never stutter, or do I sound like that!"

Matthew was tuned out during most of their arguing, since he was concentrating on calming his fast-beating heart that he swears that everyone could hear. When he finally did, he noticed that Roderich as gripping on to the papers in his hands, seeming like he was trying to remain calm, but might lose it at any second…And he lost it.

"BOTH OF YOU, CAN YOU SHUT UP ALREADY?! I'M TRYING TO CONCENTRATE HERE! _VERDAMMT,_ IF ONLY I HAD MY PIANO HERE, THEN I WOULDN'T HAVE TO EXPRESS MY FRUSTRATION IN WORDS!"

Both Gilbert and Elizabetha stopped at once when they heard Roderich yelled angrily at the duo. He took in deep in order to compose himself, and his calm air returned.

"…Yeah, Eliza, listen to what your boyfriend says and shut up!" Gilbert broke the silence, before quickly walking up to Matthew, and quickly grabbed him by the hand. He tugged on him, urging him to pick up his pace as he quickly dragged him away. They could hear both Roderich and Elizabetha yelling at the same time.

"He's not my boyfriend!"

"I'm not her boyfriend!"

"You're both in denial!" Gilbert yelled back, laughing out loud as he pulled Matthew in through the double doors that led into the school. As they walked, Matthew noticed a small tuff of yellow that was hidden in front of Gilbert's shoulder. He was about to lean in to see what it was, but Gilbert interrupted his actions.

"Sorry 'bout that Birdie. I guess we can't sit there today," Gilbert said with a nervous chuckle in the middle of the hallway. "Those jerks won't leave us alone if we stay there."

"That's not nice of you to say, Gilbert," Matthew whispered. "They are…nice."

"Yeah, well, you're first impression of them will change if you know them as well as I do. They're so mean."

 _I'm pretty sure they're only rude towards you,_ Matthew wanted to say, but he restrained himself for saying so.

"Where can we go now?" Gilbert muttered to himself, trying to think of a place to go.

"I don't know. A place where no one interrupts or distracts us?"

"A place where no one can interrupt us…" Gilbert's mind trailed off, before he looked at Matthew in a way.

"W-What?" Matthew asked when he caught the suspicious glint in Gilbert's eyes. "Why are you looking at me that way?"

"I'm considering whether you won't tell anyone…"

"Tell anyone what?"

"I know a place, but you can't tell anyone about it, or I'll be in even more shit than I already am with the old man. Hell, no one is even allowed to go there, it's always lock to begin with, but I have the keys…" Gilbert muttered, as if talking to himself more than with Matthew. Then took hold of Matthew's hand and started to lead him down the hallway, towards the staircase that led to the fifth floor.

"Gilbert, where are you taking me?" Matthew asked, not liking the sound of 'no one is even allowed to go there' and 'it's always lock to begin with, but I have the keys'. He wasn't one to break the rules, and prefers to stay out of trouble. They started up the stairs, and walked down the hallway of the floor, until they were in front of a door that said ' ** _Authorised Staff Only! No Students Beyond This Point!_** '. Now Matthew did not even want to go there at all.

"Gilbert, what are you-" Matthew started, before Gilbert quickly placed a finger over his lips to shush him, as he checked down the hallway, as if scanning the area to see if it's clear from anyone.

"Calm down, Birdie. You make it sound like we'll get in trouble or something," Gilbert muttered as he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a set of keys, and inserted one into the door. With a quick turn, the door unlocked, and he opened it quietly.

"We will get in trouble! Can't you read the-" Alas, he wasn't able to finish his sentence, because he was quickly pulled in through the door, and Gilbert locked the door from the outside before closing it.

"Geez, Birdie, haven't you broken at least a few rules before?" Gilbert asked with a small laugh at Matthew's worried expression, as he gestured Matthew to follow him up another set of staircases that led to another door. "Don't worry. People won't be able to get in from the outside."

"N-No," Matthew mumbled as he trailed behind him.

"Maybe the awesome me should teach you how to be rebellious."

"No, thank you. Where are we going, anyway?" Matthew asked, as Gilbert pushed open the door.

"Oh, just the roof," Gilbert stated simply, as he forcefully pulled Matthew through the door.

"The roof?!" Matthew exclaimed as he got dragged outside. Sure enough, they were on top of the roof of the school. There was a tall railing that surrounded the roof area, and some small flowerbeds with a variety of flowers that are still in bloom there. Looking how there were no multiple footprints on the marble floor. It seemed like that people have forgotten about this place, and only a few come up there to water the flowers.

"What's wrong, Birdie?"

"G-Gilbert, we're not allowed to be here…" he muttered the reply, looking back at the door unsurely. "We should go back downstairs, or else we'll be in trouble…"

"Man, you must have never gotten in trouble before," Gilbert laughed, gesturing him to follow him across the roof towards the railing. "Calm down, Birdie! You have to learn to relax! You're young! Come over here, why don't you?" Hesitantly, Matthew walked up beside Gilbert.

"How did you even get the key…?"

"I always find the extra set in the old man's bureau," Gilbert said, lying backwards against the railing with his arms, glancing at Matthew. "Check out the view here,"

The view was pretty cool, Matthew had to admit. He could see the whole school field from the side he was in, and he could see the dorms that were further away, but to the side. There were people scattered all over the place, and he could see most of the trees and flowers, but they were all miniscule to him. He could only see a bit beyond the school's gates, where there were mostly spaces of grass distanced the school away, but the nearest neighbourhood was there and nearby that was where a mall where students might hang out after classes were over.

In the town he lived in, the school is located in the corner of the whole town, where it's more in a quiet, residential area, although it was a reasonable distance to nearby services (like the mall). Downtown was the place to go for a more urbanised feel.

Matthew slowly walked away from the railing, standing a few steps away. He never was a fan of high places. It's like he's paranoid that he's going to fall off. He hadn't been through anything that would make him afraid of heights, but it might be because of all the things Alfred had told him about buildings that traumatized him, and how he'd push Matthew just to scare him.

"What's up with you, Birdie?" Gilbert asked, noticing how Matthew far behind he was.

"I…It's nothing," Matthew muttered, as he walked up to the side of the doorway, in the shade. "Can we just get started, already?" Gilbert looked at him questioningly, but did not argue with him and sat beside him on the floor. They were about to start, but Gilbert didn't take out any books.

"Hey, Birdie?"

"Yes, Gilbert?" Matthew asked, as he saw the youth lay tiredly against the wall, pushing his bag away from him.

"Can we not study?" Gilbert asked laxly, stretching his arms and intertwined hands outwards, and then placing them behind his head as he lay deeper. He lay down on the floor, putting his most-likely bag underneath his head as a pillow. "I'm too tired to be answering questions."

"You're so lazy," Matthew replied as he also laid his back against the wall. "Fine. What do want to do?" Gilbert shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know," Gilbert replied. "Nothing I guess…"

"Well, you're suddenly boring."

"I'm just tired."

"You weren't like that before."

"Walking up all those stairs wore me out."

"Yeah…" Matthew said, as he took out his lunch. He may as well eat it. But, then again, the sandwich did not look really appetizing at all. Matthew just decided to take a few bites, before wrapping the rest and putting it in his bag. He'll eat it later.

Gilbert just glanced at Matthew. He noticed his hands were sitting on his lap, fingers tapping a bit as he looked up towards the sky.

"Whoa, _Vögelchen_! You have such small hands!" Gilbert exclaimed suddenly, both his hands holding on to Matthew's. Splotches of crimson grew on Matthew's cheeks at the sudden touch of the other's hands. He brought them up close, as if inspecting Matthew's delicate and small fingers. Matthew's were slim and sort of soft, whereas, compared to Gilbert's, where bigger in size, and obviously worn out with rough callouses on the tip. It was quite embarrassing for Matthew whenever someone would take note his hands, and would always tell him how it looked more like female hands than male. But, Matthew noticed other things about Gilbert's hands. Closely, he could see some faded scars along his hand and arms, and the skin on his knuckles looked like he punched a wall multiple times.

"Sexy, I know," Matthew sarcastically said, trying to slip his hands out of the bigger ones, but the other refused to let go.

"They're so tiny~ Right, Gilbird?"

" _Cheep~_ " Matthew looked around the roof questioningly, but did not find anything in sight. Did he just hear something chirping nearby him?

" _Cheeeep~ Peeeeeeep~_ " The chirping continued, and this made Matthew believe that there was someone-or something- that was indeed chirping very close by. But there were no birds in sight.

"Gilbert? Did you hear that?" Matthew asked.

"What? Oh, are you talking about _Gilbird_?"

"Who?"

"Gilbird." Gilbert repeated, letting go off Matthew's hands. He raised his on to touch the top of his head, as if expecting to feel something there. When it seemed like he couldn't feel what he was meant to feel, the youth's eyes shot right open, and he started to look up.

"Wait, what?" He cried with worry, as he frantically seemed to be feeling his head. "Gilbird? Where are you, buddy?"

" _Peep! Peep-peeep~_ " The chirping sounded louder now, and was coming from behind Gilbert. He looked over his left shoulder, and he let out a sigh of relief.

"Gilbird! Don't scare the awesome me like that!" Gilbert said, taking something with intense care from behind his shoulder blade, and placed it on top of his shoulder. Matthew wasn't sure what he was supposed to see, but he saw a small tuff of yellow.

"Don't be shy, buddy," Gilbert cooed softly (something that Matthew had not expected of him).

Suddenly, a small, yellow bird peeked out from behind Gilbert neck, and walked unsurely out of his hiding spot. He was looking at Matthew, before looking away frightened, and letting out an adorable " _Peep_ ". Matthew's insides just melted the moment he saw the baby bird.

"I-Is that-?" Matthew asked, leaning in to get a closer look at the adorable thing. He must have gotten a bit too close, because the chick chirped in surprise, and hid behind Gilbert shaking.

"Hey!" Gilbert said with a chuckle when Gilbird retreated, and cupped a hand underneath his shoulder. The chick fluttered to his hand, cozying itself closely. "It's alright. This here is Birdie- er, I mean, Matthew! He's not going to hurt you or anything!"

The chick seems to have, surprisingly, recognized the name 'Matthew', since he tilted his head up a bit.

"It's alright, sweetheart," Matthew cooed in his usual whispery tone. He lifted a gentle hand next to Gilbert. "I'm not going to hurt you. It's alright." The bird looked at Matthew for a second, staring into his eyes like he was unsure. He took a small step on Matthew's hand, ready to run if Matthew were to move. Noticing that nothing was happening, the chick was comfortable enough to let on his other leg in.

Slowly, as to not frighten the dear, Matthew used one elegant finger to stroke its yellow feathers gently. The bird seemed to like this very much, because it started to chirp happily at the touch, and caressed himself against Matthew. _So cute~!_ Matthew wanted to say, but restrained himself.

Matthew let out a small giggle, and continued to stroke the bird. He noticed that once again, Gilbert was staring at him attentively, biting his bottom lip a bit uncertainly as if he was restraining himself from saying anything at all. A light tint of pink was growing on his face, too.

"You know, Birdie, it's not fair that you can call Gilbird 'sweetheart'," Gilbert said with a pout when he noticed the blonde has caught him staring. "Maybe you should talk in that tone with me instead."

"Of course, 'sweetheart'," Matthew teased, returning his attention to the bird. "You know, Gilbert, I'd never have known you'd be the type to like such cute things."

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with liking cute things, okay?"

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing," Matthew said, playing with the bird a bit. "I just find it…unusual, for you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gilbert said, with a sudden cut in his tone. Matthew looked at him confusingly, not knowing what would make Gilbert sound that way.

"Well, you know…You're you."

"I'm me?" Gilbert asked, taking Gilbird out of Matthew's hand. Gilbird chirped at his friend's touch, and flew from his hand to his head, happily nuzzling there. "Mind explaining?"

"U-Um, well, you're…not really the, uh, sunniest person there is," Matthew replied uncomfortably, fidgeting with his fingers. "I thought of you more like…the tough, rebellious type of guy. I'd expect someone else to be into such cute things."

"'The tough, rebellious type of guy?' Or are you just trying to say something nice?" Gilbert muttered darkly, dazing up to the sky. "Or, do you have more to say? Let me guys, you think I did criminal activities: you thought that I do drug and smoke weed? I got in trouble with the police? I've been into gang fights? Get arrested? Stole?"

"N-No! Why would you-…" Matthew exclaimed, surprise at what he said. But, he stopped himself from continuing soon after. He had to be honest; he did use to think that he was bad news at first. He's someone that should only been known in class, and Matthew shouldn't hang around him. And, as rude as this sounded, Matthew did think all that once. But, he never knows. He just met Gilbert, and just recently started hanging out with him. He doesn't really know Gilbert much, so he might do it.

"Yeah, I thought so," Gilbert continued, knowing that he was right. "You should know me well first before judging me." There was an uncomfortable silence that befell them.

"Then," Matthew whispered as he pulled his bag underneath his head as he lay down next to the elder. "Tell me a little more about yourself." Gilbert looked at him in a way, before his view returned to the sky.

"What is there to say?"

"I don't know. Whatever you want to say."

"…Are you serious?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" Matthew asked, confused. "You're the one who said I should know you well first. Or, are you uncomfortable to talk about it? It's fine, if you are…"

"It's not that I'm uncomfortable. It's just that most people would not care to listen about me. My personal details are not something people want to know about. Apparently it's too much and dark for them to handle, or something."

"Well, now you got me curious. I'm pretty sure I can handle it. I've been through some sort of crap, too," Matthew confessed, with a small sad smile.

"Oh, really?" Gilbert asked. "What would that be? Or are you uncomfortable about talking about it, too?"

"I never actually told anyone, and I don't…I don't feel like talking about it. Sorry…"

"Why apologise? I understand. It's not that easy to talk about personal stuff, especially when you never told anyone before. Plus, I'm like a total stranger to you." Now this Matthew didn't expect from Gilbert. Gilbert being understanding? Well, this is something you don't seem to see every day. Maybe he was better than what Matthew had originally thought.

"You're not."

"Well, you haven't known me for long."

"Neither have you. You haven't known me for that long."

"True, true…Wait, what time is it now?" Gilbert switched the topic, and Matthew took out his cell phone to check.

"Oh it's just…" His eyes shot right up when he saw the time. "Crap!" Matthew stood up suddenly, and took his bag.

"What?" Gilbert asked surprised, sitting up.

"Class starts in 15 minutes." Matthew said as he started to go through the doorway, with Gilbert right behind him. Gilbert processed this information

"Oh fuck! I need to go to the first floor for History!"

"And I have Gym. It takes me a while to get there from here, and I have to change too!"

"Shit. There is no way I'm getting a late for that class, or else the old man's going to fucking kill me!" Gilbert muttered as he went down the stairs, right behind Matthew. They went through the door, and made their way to the second floor, where they had to go separate ways with only 5 minutes.

"I'll see ya during Math, Birdie," Gilbert said as he went down the hallway to the nearest staircase.

"Same," Matthew could only reply and he quickly make it into the change room.

* * *

Luckily, he was able to make it to the field in time for attendance, and he wasn't marked late.

"You're so dramatic, Al," Matthew said to his brother with an eye roll. "Really? Me, kidnapped?"

"I'm just saying, Matthew," Alfred said with a simple shrug. "You are always the first one to be in the change room."

"You're just paranoid that I'm talking to Gilbert aren't you?"

"What?! Am not!"

"Sure. Can't we talk about something else other than him?"

"Fine then…Tell me, Mattie, does this shirt make me look good? Like, it shows off how muscular I am? Does it make me look…striking?"

"What the-? 'Striking'? Why are you asking me this?"

"Oh, no reason. Just…answer the question."

"Uh, one thing Al, this is your gym uniform that you sweat in constantly. It's not meant to make you look 'dashing'. Why don't you try asking someone who's interested in you? …Hey, wait…Are you trying to look good in front of someone, Alfred?"

"W-What! Pfft, of course not Matt! W-Why would I ever?"

"Ooh! Al's stuttering! Now that means that you are definitely trying to impress someone! Who is it-?"

"ALFRED, MATTHEW! STOP CHITCHATTING AND PAY ATTENTION TO THE GAME! AND HERACLES, WAKE UP!" Their gym teacher, Mr. Lars yelled at the two brothers from across the field, when suddenly a player from the opposite team zoomed pass them.

"Oh, shit!" Alfred exclaimed, when he started to run after the guy, but he didn't look where he was running and tripped over Heracles, who was fast asleep on the ground, and fell to the ground hard. Mr. Lars ran a hand through his straight-spiky hair frustratingly, since he had told them one too many time to shut up during their classes and Heracles to wake up.

They were in the midst of playing some flag football, with two teams facing each other.

"Alright! It's tied, so whoever gets the last point wins!" Mr. Lars said after the opposite team kicked the ball to their side and they were caught. Just then Ludwig requested a huddle.

"You two have to stop talking to each other and pay attention to the game! That goes to the rest of you as well! You guys are not covering the others like I told you to!" Ludwig said as their team formed a huddle. Yong Soo, Carlos, Tino, Berwald, Ludwig, Kiku, Emile, Feliciano, and Heracles Karpusi, the Greek domestic student they recently befriended, were part of that team along with Alfred and Matthew.

"Yes!" Kiku exclaimed, embarrassed at being yelled at.

"Ve~ Ludwig, you don't need to yell at us!" Feliciano whined.

"You make it sound like we're playing in the NFL," Carlos mumbled annoyingly. "Calm down!"

"I need some sort of motivation," Yong Soo muttered. "Hey! Did you know football originated from South K-?"

"No, it's from America, obviously, that's why they call it American football," Alfred replied annoyingly. "Duh!"

"No, Alfred," Matthew gasped sarcastically. "I never knew!"

"Guys, now's not the time to argue…" Tino said a bit unsurely about how this conversation was going to go, but he was getting annoyed at how Ludwig was blaming the others.

"Hey, are you guys done yet? We'd like to start-" One of the players from the other team said, before he was bluntly interrupted by Ludwig.

" _NEIN_! We're not done yet, so shut up and stay on your side of the field!" Ludwig barked, and the player did not question him any further, but instead took a few steps back frighteningly.

"We need a plan," Berwald supposed, looking over at the opposite side. "Who do we really need to cover on the other side?"

"Zzzz…" Heracles closed his eyes, and seemed like he was about to topple to the ground.

"Why am I stuck with you guys?" Emile muttered.

"Don't complain, you didn't block the person you were supposed to," Ludwig scolded, looking around the group. "And Heracles! Don't you dare fall asleep on us!"

"H-Huh?" Heracles mumbled as opening both eyes tiredly, before his clouded eyes landed on Ludwig. "…..what?"

"YOU KEEP SLEEPING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FIELD! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO PASS THE BALL TO YOU!"

"Then you should just pass it to me!" Alfred said, glaring at Heracles. "You never do-"

"That's because you keep talking with Matthew, Alfred-san," Kiku said before Ludwig can say anything.

"Pass it to me, then!" the cheerful Italian asked, seeing an opportunity. "I wanna try catching it!"

"But, Feli, maybe its best if you just…run around," Matthew replied unsurely, knowing that what he did most of the time was dodge the incoming football.

"Hey, can I be quarterback, _daze~_?" Yong Soo asked with a small pout. "I don't wanna run-"

"Neither do I!" Emile exclaimed, looking at Ludwig pleadingly. "C'mon, can I just do it?"

"You already did, and I thought I was remaining quarterback for most of the game," Carlos said.

"You can't always be quarterback," Tino said to Carlos.

"You know what; I'M being quarter-back." Ludwig interrupted, looking at Matthew. "And I'm passing it to you."

"What!" Matthew exclaimed. American football wasn't one of his strongest points. "I can't catch to save my life!"

"They're going to go to the most obvious people. They wouldn't expect you to get it," Ludwig simply replied, and walked towards the football before Matthew could say anything. It was just a nicer way of saying that nobody will notice Matthew, like always. Matthew kind of guessed that Ludwig forgot his name too at that moment.

"Hut!" And with that, the team dispersed and scattered around. It seems like mostly they were covering Alfred, Carlos, Berwald, and Heracles (actually…they didn't care to cover him, because he fell asleep once again), with some on the others, except for Matthew...obviously. When Ludwig threw it at his direction, which confused the other players.

"Where the hell is he throwing?"

"No one is even there!"

"Wait…Is that Alfred?!" One of the players yelled when Matthew, miraculously, caught the ball and started to run.

"No, it's…his brother! Get 'em!"

"Who?"

 _I have a name, you know,_ he thought annoyingly, but ran to the end of the field, with an opposite player chasing behind him. He managed to get to the end field before someone got to him, and he sighed in relief when he stopped to catch his breath. The blow of the whistle signalled that the game was over, and that their team won this match!

"Hey! Good job, Mattie!" Alfred exclaimed as he held the big sac with the footballs. Unfortunately for the brothers, thanks to their constant chatter, they had to carry the sac with footballs while Heracles had to take the bandana sac. "And you said you couldn't catch!"

"That is the only time I'd be able to do that," Matthew muttered, as he took one side of the sac. A sudden thought occurred as he carried the sac with Alfred towards the entrance of the school. "So, Alfred. Who're you trying to impress?"

"W-What?" Alfred stuttered out, trying to fake like he doesn't know what Matthew was talking about. "What…do you mean bro?"

"Oh Al. What was that question you asked me earlier? 'Do I look…striking?'" Matthew said with a laugh. "You are so trying to look good in front of someone. C'mon~ Tell me who it is!"

"I have no idea what you're trying to say Matthew!" Alfred said with the best attempt of looking sincere. "Honest, brah!"

"Yeah, right," Matthew replied, not buying it. Just then, Kiku seemed to have been pushed by Feliciano bumping his hip into his, towards Alfred, making him trip over his foot right into the blonde. However Alfred didn't seem to know he was pushed and quickly caught him.

"Whoa there!" Alfred said as Kiku tumbled into him, and he held on Kiku, making sure he kept his balance.

"Feli-! I-I mean, uh, I'm so sorry, Alfred-san!" Kiku stammered out awkwardly, blushing as he bent down apologetically. He glared at Feliciano, who was restraining a giggle as he frolicked towards Ludwig. "I-I, um, j-just tripped over my foot…"

"O-Oh, it's fine Kiku!" Alfred exclaimed, a light blush settling on his face, before realising that he was still holding on to him, his hand on his waist. "Oh! Sorry," he muttered as he quickly let go.

"A-Ah, okay," Kiku muttered, just realising where his hand was, as he bowed again. "I'm so sorry!" And with that, he hastily turned away to run towards Feliciano and Ludwig, with this murderous attempt in his eyes.

"Well, that was weird," Matthew said, glancing back at Alfred. He saw his brother's blue eyes on Kiku as he walked off, watching him with this soft, distant look on his face, the light blush still on his cheeks.

"Alfred."

"…" Alfred did not respond back.

"Alfred!"

"H-Huh? W-What?" He replied, snapping out of his phase. Matthew smiled cleverly at his brother's expression.

"I saw that," Matthew sang, as he tugged on the sac, forcing them to keep walking.

"What?"

"That look," Matthew continued suggestively.

"What look, dude?"

Matthew sighed at his brother's response. "Oh, nothing, Al," he responded back. "C'mon. Pick up the pace, I have to change and go all the way to Math class."

"W-Wait, what?" Alfred asked innocently as they entered the school. "What? What do you mean by 'that look'?"

"Nothing, Al. Just pick up the pace, why don't you?"

"Uh, excuse me, Matthew? Can I speak with you for a minute, love?" Said a familiar British voice. Both the brother's stopped, and glanced behind them. Arthur was standing behind them, a mug in his hand and a packet of sheets in the other. What was he doing here? Maybe third period was his prep time. But fourth period is about to start, and they needed to change quickly.

"Uh, yes, Dad?" Matthew mumbled embarrassingly. Couldn't he talk to him after classes are over? Talking to him in the middle of the school day was just…weird for Matthew. They still haven't passed the awkwardness of passing one another in the hallway. "I have to go change now-"

"I just needed to ask something real quick, love. Where were you during lunch?" He asked, with a bit of suspicion in his eyes. Matthew gulped. He knew going up on the roof wasn't a good idea. Did his father see him walk up with Gilbert?

"W-Why?" Matthew asked.

"Oh, just wondering. I thought I saw you with…Gilbert, that's all," Arthur replied, that still suspicious look in his eyes, and a bit of venom when he said the albino's name. "I'm wondering what you were doing with him."

"Uh," Matthew could only reply, as he saw Alfred raise an eyebrow questioningly. "He just…needed help with some work."

"Hm," Arthur said with a noticeable disapproving look. "Alright then. That's all I really wanted to ask. I can't give you boys a ride after school. Just take the bus." And with that, Arthur walked pass them down the hallway, and disappearing around a corner.

"…So, you _were_ with him," Alfred said, tugging on the sac as they entered the change room to walk through a closed door, where two other doors where there. They dropped the sac on the floor in front of the door that was near the door to the change room –Mr. Lars' office- and made their way to change in the room.

"Yeah, so?"

"Nothing," Alfred muttered, as he started to take out his uniform shirt from the mini locker.

"Yeah, right," Matthew retorted, quickly proceeding to change and walked out the room.

He weaving through the students and making his way to his Math class. When he entered, he saw a familiar face.

"Yo, Birdie!" Gilbert exclaimed with a smile, as Matthew sat in his regular seat. "Guess what? I wasn't late for history class! I swear, I dodged a bullet! If I was late, the old man would've killed me!" Matthew just smiled back as Gilbert started to talk randomness.

Another sudden thought popped in his head. About what Gilbert said during lunch. About getting to know him better and his past. Maybe he should ask him about it later. _I wonder what's so wrong with it…_ If only he knew. _I didn't expect you to,_ Gilbert wanted to say, but kept his mouth shut.


	11. Gilbert's Situation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HMM I didn't mean to wait this long to upload, but I had to revisit this chapter to correct some things and add more things here and there that weren't in the original copy. I originally had German in here, but like, I think I should find someone to properly translate it before inserting the language in. And if you haven't read my response to one of the comments, just a heads up; this chapter's in Gilbert's perspective!
> 
> I would like to thank you readers so much for being patient with me and sticking along with this story so far! Thank you for reading, commenting, and liking this story! It fills me with determination every time I get a kudos and a comment on these chapters! ^_^ 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy the following chapter (and the next one!)

The wind suddenly blew ferociously, forcing the leaves and branches of the trees to sway in on direction. The beginning of fall is almost near, and the temperatures are supposed to drop, but it doesn't seem that way. One could still go around shirtless and they'll still be sweating buckets thanks to the temperature.

"Hello? Earth to Gilbert." A voice snapped, as some snapping of the fingers ensued. Gilbert rolled his eyes. Now what does the fucking teacher want?

"Yeah?" Gilbert snapped back, his eyes drawn away from the outdoor scenery and towards his History teacher who was standing beside Gilbert's desk. He could tell that his teacher was very much annoyed at him. Not like he would give a damn. The teacher can yell at him for all he cared.

"Don't think I'm going to be nice and easy just because you started to come to class on time," he said, trying to keep calm.

 _I didn't expect you to,_ Gilbert wanted to say, but kept his mouth shut.

"What have you done during this whole period, other than gawking out the window?"

Gilbert lazily picked up his notebook as he laid his head on his hand that was sat up table. He allowed the teacher to scan through his writing, before he glared at him.

"Carry on," his History teacher said with an irritated twitch of his nose.

Gilbert just had to grin as he saw his teacher walked to the front to target his next victim. Obviously he would finish all his work already. History was actually one of the subjects he prefers. Although, he didn't like his History teacher, who in turn didn't like him.

Heck, which teacher didn't? With the exceptions of Mr. Lars, Ms. Karpusi, and Ms. Khemet, the others weren't actually all that excited to have him in their class. He's glad that he has Mr. Janssen for Gym and Ms. Khemet for Math this semester again…okay, maybe not Ms. Khemet. Well, she is the one who failed him, but he'll actually admit he's fully at fault for failing. He won't be seeing Ms. Karpusi, since he didn't take any of the Arts courses, which sucks. He would've continued taking Drama, but his grandfather made it clear that he had to take a course that would actually help out his future.

The teacher he doesn't want, though, is Bushy-Brows- Mr. Kirkland. He would switch out of that class at all costs. He doesn't care if he has to retake Year 2 English, or take a Saturday or Night class for it, even though that might be too much. There is no way he's going to be taught by the Brit again. It's miraculous he passed that course, but only barely. He guessed that Mr. Kirkland didn't want to see him either, which is why he passed him...but his marks were still low. Their disliking for each other is two-sided, so there were no problems for Gilbert with his mark. He passes, then that's that. He won't have to hold back from cussing Mr. Kirkland off ever again.

But, the problem is, he's now acquainted (would he be lying if he said friends?) with Matthew. It's not bad that he hangs out with Matthew at all. He loved the younger ones presence and his character. He was the opposite of Gilbert, which is what really drew him to Matthew. The problem is the Kirkland is his father. Gilbert is still having a hard time accepting this newfound fact. They weren't related, he knew that for sure; there were prominent differences between how they look, and with Eliza's investigation, he knew that Birdie was adopted by Kirkland. However, he must be caution around his Birdie. Who knows what will happen to him.

" _Psst_! Gilbert!" Someone whispered beside him, drawing his attention to her. It was a girl, named Fatima. He had shared in one of his classes in his first year. She had a light-brown skin tone, and she wore a _hijab_ around her head. She hangs out mostly with another girl called Katherine, an international student from England, who was also in this History class.

"What is it?" He muttered back, glancing to see if their History teacher was near. He was seated at his own desk, and looking through sheets.

"Are you free after school?" She asked.

"No, I'm not. Why do you ask?" He responded automatically. He wasn't sure if he was free, but he barely even talked to the girl, so asking him this question made him a bit doubtful.

"Oh, I just need to tell you something really quickly."

"Can't you tell me now?"

"No! It has to be outside of the classroom."

"What does it have to do with?"

"Um, it's mostly about Kat. But, I can't tell you in here."

"Just tell me right after this class is over-."

"Why do I hear talking?" The teacher asked, his eyes narrowing as he looked at both the students, who quickly leaned back up and looked into their textbooks.

"Because you have fuckin' ears?" Gilbert muttered under his breath as he flipped through his textbook, but his teacher didn't hear his comment. The people around him who had heard restrained a chuckle, before continuing to write down the answers to the questions.

When the bell rang for the end of Period 3, Fatima pulled him to the end of the hallway, behind a wall, out of everyone else's earshot.

"Is this so important that you have to force the awesome me here?" Gilbert asked.

"Well…yes…Are you dating anyone now?" Fatima asked quickly. The albino looked at her confusingly. Is that all she really wanted to ask?

"No, I'm not. Now, if you don't mind, I have to-"

"Do you like anyone?" Gilbert froze in his spot. Why is she asking this?

"No, I don't. Why are you asking me these questions?"

"Okay, okay, so, um, you know Kat right?"

"Yes," Gilbert slurred, uneasy about where this would lead to.

"Okay, uh, would you consider dating her?" This is what she wanted to ask him? Gilbert stood there uncomfortably. He never considered her- Hell, he never considered any of the girls in his school. He found it weird to look at them that way.

He thought about Elizabetha, who everyone thought they would make such a cute couple, with their constant bickering, but to him it was impossible to see her as anything more than a good friend or, heck, even a sister. And she only saw him as her brother, and she likes Roderich. It was just that…girls don't really interest him. Although, he did have a crush on someone the previous year…but it wasn't a girl.

"Well…I never considered," Gilbert muttered as he pieced things together. "Why? Does she…?"

"…Yeah, she likes you and she wanted me to ask you if you could go out with her. You know, she always goes on about you to me-Well, not always, but you know what I mean? She really likes you, Gilbert, so..." It was like she was trying to make him feel guilty and say yes. Well, this was the hardest part to get by. How many girls have asked him this? Honestly, a few have, but it was always the same response at the end. It made him feel a bit guilty inside to say it, because he knew how it felt to be given an un-awesome response.

"Can you tell her that…I can't see her that way?" Damn, he was terrible at choosing the right words for this. He quickly turned around and walked down the hallway.

"W-Wait! Can't you tell me why-" Fatima asked as he speed walked, but she couldn't finish since Gilbert already disappeared through the mob of students in the hallway. He made his way up the multiple staircases, towards his Math class. Before he could reach there, thought, he felt his phone buzz in his pocket.

He took it out, caution to check if there were any teachers around, before looking at the screen. He saw it was a text from Vash.

_Do you want to skip last period and head for the mall?_

_What, just u and me?_ Gilbert texted back as he lay against the lockers. He glanced both ways again, to see if the coast is clear from teachers. They will confiscate it if they saw him use it. And, plus, he still had some time left before the bell rang for the beginning of the next period. His phone vibrated again.

Vash: _No, Eliza and Roderich are coming too  
They're with me right now_

 **Gilbert:** _What? Roddy is actually skipping? That's rare XD_

 **Vash:** _Yeah, I know, right?_

 **Gilbert:** _I'd love 2, but I can't skip this class_

 **Vash:** _What's so special about math that you can't come to the mall? Is there someone you want to see?_

 **Gilbert:** _Maybe…_

 **Vash:** _Really, Gilbert?_

 **Gilbert:** _Oh, liebling. You jealous? ;)_

 **Vash:** _Barely -_- It better not be my sister_

 **Gilbert:** _Ew no. No offence  
__And don't worry. I still and always will have a special place for you in my heart_  
You're just not my #1

 **Vash:** _Flirt with someone else, Beilschmidt_

 **Gilbert:** _Alright, Zwingli, but we both know you love me  
How 'bout after classes I'll just meet u guys there?_

 **Vash:** _Yeah, sure  
Later_

 **Gilbert:** _Ya, later_

Gilbert quickly slipped his phone into his pocket when he saw Ms. Khemet walking down the hallway, to his Math class. He sighed in relief of not being caught, and hastily entered the classroom.

His favourite person has actually made it to class before him, his nose in the book he's always reading.

"Yo, yo, Mattie," Gilbert said walking up beside the blonde and taking his seat. "Still reading that book, I see."

"Yep," Matthew replied (whispered), his view drawing away from the pages and looking up at Gilbert. He tucked a stand of his strawberry blonde hair behind his ear and looked a Gilbert with his big violet eyes as a small smile grew on his face. "I'm almost finished this one."

"Honestly Birdie, how can you sit through reading it? I mean, some books are okay, but I always quit after the first sentence…no, the first _word_."

"They're not boring," Matthew answered with an offended tone. "Books are the best thing there is on this planet! Well, not all books may be interesting to one, but it's good to read and…" As Matthew continued to talk about how great books are, some that one should avoid if they don't like so and so, Gilbert just laid back and watched him. He couldn't help but smile at how flustered and serious Matthew seemed about the subject. It was way too cute. But inside, he had a doubt gnawing in him.

The thought of Matthew kind of made Gilbert think a bit darkly now after their conversation on the roof (where they continued to go for lunch in recent days).

Did Matthew really think of Gilbert that way? He knew he seemed like the type to do a lot of things that could get him arrested-and he did- but, there was so much more. So much more…

* * *

Gilbert exhaled deeply as he trudged his feet up the main sidewalk to the mall as only a few cars passed him. Matthew had to stay behind because Alfred got recommended for the school's American football team, and Alfred did not hand in the form on time, so he was afraid to see how Mr. Lars would react if he were alone.

The boy let out another sigh. He glanced up towards the sky to see that some grey rain clouds are slowly rolling in. How nice. He didn't even bring an umbrella with him, nor did he have a sweater. Maybe it would have been alright if he lived in the dorms with other students. But no, he had to live with his grandfather, since he lives in this town to begin with. So, basically, Gilbert has to bus it to his house. Oh, joy. Why does the school have to be so far away?

" _Cheep~?_ " Gilbird asked Gilbert, fluttering on to his shoulder and looking up to his friend.

"<Oi, Gilbird!>" Gilbert muttered to his bird in German, holding up his hand. "<Stay inside the pocket! What if you get wet?>" Gilbird chirped once more, noticing Gilbert didn't seem like he was in a good mood, before crawling down into Gilbert's shirt pocket.

He trudged his feet, passing students who also had plans to go around town. He passed some boys in his grade who were walking too damn slow, and he could hear them saying something about him of some sort. He heard one say something like 'he thinks he's so tough. I don't think he could even handle a fight'. Gilbert didn't have to think for that one. He **knows** he could handle a fight. He's been in so many, and he came out as victorious…most of the times. He stopped at a signal light. All he needed to do was cross the road ahead, and the mall is right there.

Gilbert glanced to the opposite side of the road. There was a strip mall on that side, with a corner convenience store. Behind that is another neighbourhood. The boy looked at the convenience store for a moment, before looking away. There was no way he was going inside. He promised himself he would stop doing it. The last pack he had was his last one he'd ever get.

"He thinks he's so 'cool'," he could hear one kid mutter to his friends. "I had him in my English class last year. He was such a nuisance, he did _nothing_."

"Who, Gilbert? He has to retake Year 1 Math, right?"

" _Pfft_ , yeah, because he skipped the class I heard. He must really think it is 'awesome' to not attend class."

"How the hell did he get in this academy?"

"It's so obvious. His grandfather is _vice-principal_ in this school. That's the only reason. They're loaded."

"You know what I heard? He used to be in some gang ever since he was 12."

"Yeah, I heard that. The place he lived in was a mess. There were thugs and street-fights ever where you go. He was one too. You can tell he got into fights with knives and shit. He still has scars. And apparently, he used to do drugs and got wasted on alcohol too. He legit smoked marijuana."

"He still does. That's the only reason he skipped classes. So he can smoke weed and get high. I can never understand pot-heads."

"Do the teachers not care? Honestly, he's a terrible name for our school, and an embarrassment. They should just kick him out."

"Yeah, I know. What an idiot. You know, I don't know why girls go after him. He's such a loser."

"I'm surprised that he has _friends_. I don't know why they'd be associated with him."

"I wouldn't even dare. He should just do us a favour and leave. We'd all be better off without him."

During their whole conversation, Gilbert was doing his best to bottle up his anger. _Stay calm, Gilbert,_ he told himself as his fist clenched together tightly. _Don't mind them. They're just a bunch of arrogant, snobby, sheltered rich kids._ But their words did bug him. They were slowly eating through his mind.

He took out his cell phone as he neared the entrance of the mall, and quickly texted Vash to locate him. The Swiss texted right away his location-the food court.

"Hey, Vash. Roddy, Beth," Gilbert greeted his friends when he saw the trio sitting on a table. Elizabetha was drinking an Ice Capp, while Roderich sat in front her, and Vash beside him. Gilbert slipped into the seat beside Elizabetha, and stole some fries from Vash's tray.

"Don't call me that, Gilbert," Elizabetha said with a scowl at how he greeted her. "You know I hate it whenever someone calls me 'Beth'."

"What's wrong with the name?" Gilbert asked as he tried to take her drink, but she pulled it away from his grasp. Gilbird popped out of the pocket when he heard Elizabetha's voice. He fluttered out of the pocket, and up to Elizabetha, who smiled at the bird, and started to pet it's head.

"Hey, little bird," she said softly, letting Gilbird walk up to Vash's tray. "Nothing is wrong with the name, I just don't like people calling me that. Like, if I were to call you 'Bert'." Elizabetha stifled a laugh. "Maybe I **should** call you that. If you want one, there's a Timmies right there," Elizabetha said, pointing at a _Tim Horton's_ at the other side.

"I don't have any money," Gilbert said with a pout. "C'mon, Eliza, share! You're not behaving awesomely."

"It's only a toonie for this size."

"I used the ones that I had on hand already! The rest of my allowance is at home!"

"What did you spend the on hand money on?" Roderich asked as he helped himself to some fries (to this, Vash did not glare at him).

"Just something," Gilbert muttered, as he started to eat the fries, ignoring Vash's looks of irritation directed at him as Gilbird also started to also took a bite out of one. Not liking the taste, he backed away, and seek refuge inside Gilbert's shirt pocket. To annoy Elizabetha, he switched to German and started to talk to Roderich and Bacsh, " ** _<_** I'm surprised the mall squad didn't kick you guys out.>"

" ** _<_** We just lied to one of them by saying school let out early>," Vash replied simply back, catching on to why Gilbert was doing this. The two loved to annoy Elizabetha, mostly because she has some outrageous reactions. Elizabetha stared at them blankly at both of their words, as if trying to comprehend what they were saying.

" <What's your reason for skipping?>" Vash shrugged at his question.

"<English class is boring. We weren't going to do anything major anyway>," Vash said, still in German, pointing at Roderich. "<I forced Roderich to skip with me>"

" ** _<_** I'm never doing this ever again>," Roderich hissed, pushing his glasses up his face, before starting a conversation with Elizabetha.

" ** _<_** What an amazing student>," Gilbert teased, a grin growing on his face. " ** _<_** And what were you guys doing here till now?>"

" ** _<_** Elizabetha insisted that we go to some printing store so she can print whatever photos she has in her camera. Somehow, a bunch of girls were flirting with us.>" Vash replied, before dropping to whisper so only Gilbert could hear the following words. " ** _<_** Some girl was flirting with Roderich, and I swear Eliza was about to knock her out.>"

" ** _<_** You would've done that too, you know. Or, was it you who was about to do that?>" Gilbert muttered back suggestively with a knowing wink, causing a light blush to settle in on Vash.

"N-No, of course not."

"Right…you would've used a weapon instead." Vash didn't hesitate to kick Gilbert hard in the sins after that comment. Roderich looked at the both of them, not knowing what they were talking about.

"H-Hey! What are you guys saying about me?" Elizabetha asked, upon already hearing her name once.

"I know, she's always jealous whenever girls go after her boy-toy," teased Gilbert, as he quickly took the Ice Capp off the table and started to drink, much to Elizabetha's refusal to share.

"I am never jealous! Where did you get that crap from?!" Elizabetha huffed, as she tried to get her drink, but to no avail, she was not able to reach. Quickly, an argument ensued between the two, and all Roderich and Vash could do was try their best to ignore them.

" ** _Picsába_** (Oh, shit!)" Elizabetha muttered when she checked the time in the middle of their conversation over nothing, and she got off her seat. "I forgot! I have deliveries to do! I'll see ya guys later, okay?"

"I have to leave too," Gilbert said, noticing the time. He got up, "I'll see you tomorrow." The two others replied with a 'later', and both Elizabetha and Gilbert walked out of the mall together.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow, then." Elizabetha said when they reached the sidewalk, and were about to split.

"Yeah, see ya." Gilbert replied honestly.

"Oh, right! I almost forgot! I have something to show you," Elizabetha exclaimed as she went through her bag, and pulled out a white envelope. She took out a few photos, and handed them to Gilbert. "Tell me, do these look alright? I need to give them to certain people, so I want your opinion on them."

Gilbert started to flip through the photos, and he could feel his face slowly starting to heat up when he saw the same person doing a variety of things-one, he was caught sleeping in the library, his head resting on his folded arms on the study table, books scattered around him- until he stopped at one. One of them were the photos she took of Matthew the first time they actually saw each other face-to-face, and she was all creeper-like by saying things about him.

His head was tilted a bit; his hands were clasped together, finger intertwining each other and were in front of him. He had the short-sleeved collared shirt with the red vest, and the black tie. His wavy strawberry-blonde fell in an elegant manner, some cupping his rosy beige face, one curl sticking out. His smile was the shy, closed mouth one, but he still looked adorable, and his violet eyes also smiled along with it.

"He's so cute," Elizabetha squealed. "Most of the freshmen this year are quite popular amongst the girls, but most of them can't even remember Matthew's name. They just pick him out. His smile is adorable. Am I right?"

"Uh, sure…" Gilbert mumbled unsurely.

"Do you want a copy?"

"W-What? Why would I want this?" Gilbert said, taken by surprise.

"Oh, Gilbert. There's no point denying it," Elizabeth said, wagging her eyebrows suggestively. "We both know that you have a thing going on for him. And I know you want a copy~"

"No, I don't have a thing going on for him! And, I'm not a creeper like you girls to secretly buy pictures of other guys doing _certain_ things."

"Hey, not only girls do that! There are a few guys who buy these," Elizabetha said as she folded her arms. "And we include relationships of all orientations, not just men. It's art. And what's the problem? Why are you denying that you like him? You always talk about him to me-"

"No, I don't always!"

"…Okay fine, but I should hold up a mirror to show you how you look whenever you talk about him. Stop being in denial!"

"Well, why are you denying that you have a crush Roderich?" Gilbert shot back defensively.

"Hey, only you and Vash know, okay? And I only deny it in front of him, obviously. You guys don't need to say things like 'oh, yeah, listen to your boyfriend'! Do you know how awkward that is?"

"Is it really awkward? Or do you actually _like it_ whenever I say that?" A blush ensued on Elizabetha's face, as she threw a punch to his arm, to which he hissed in pain. She can pack a lot of strength in one single punch, even if she didn't seem like that type.

"Hey, watch it!" Gilbert said, placing a hand over his shirt pocket protectively. "Careful where you punch! You almost hit my pocket! I have a living bird in here!"

"Oh, shut up! I didn't even hit you anywhere near there, and I wouldn't dare hurt the baby bird! Anyway, we're talking about you, aren't we? Just answer me. Do you like Matthew or not?"

"I don't know…Maybe"

"Um, it's a simple 'yes' or 'no' question. There's no 'maybe'."

"I don't know, okay, Eliza? It's too soon to say. I mean, I just met Birdie this year and just recently hang out with him. I only know some stuff about him."

"Aw, you even have a nickname for him," Elizabetha cooed, her hands clasped together, and Gilbert could have sworn she was going into her dreamland again.

"…Did you even hear the 'I just met him this year, I only know some stuff about him' part?"

"So what, Gilbert? You liked Lov-"

"We don't talk about that!" Gilbert interjected quickly, not wanting to hear the name she was going to say. 

"Okay, fine. You liked 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named' right after meeting him last year. And you ended up dating him anyways."

"That's different. Our grandpas knew each other-"

"Your grandpa and his dad knows each other," Elizabetha scoffed. "Same difference."

"-But I didn't like  _like_ him when I met him."

"Okay fine; didn't you like  _like_ someone right after meeting them?"

"Yeah, only to find out he wasn't interested-" Gilbert slipped, before quickly shutting his mouth. Elizabetha's eyes widened in surprise. Uh-oh. Gilbert never told her anything about his crush on someone last year.

"You liked someone and you never told me! Who was it?!" Elizabetha exclaimed. "How could you not tell me this before?! I thought we were besties! You know, we're like brothers! Or sisters. Whichever one works…but anyway, how could you?"

"I got to go Eliza," Gilbert said, as he shoved the photos into her hands and started to speed-walk up the sidewalk.

"Well, at least say yes or no to Matthew! I need to know!" He ignored her as he made his way to his bus stop. He stood there, hands in his pocket, until he felt his phone vibrate.

It was the same question from Elizabetha. She's so annoying and persistent. But, then again, she has the right to know. She did tell Gilbert first that she likes Roderich, even though Gilbert wasn't really ecstatic at that fact. He stopped his fingers from typing anything, thinking for an answer. He typed in his two-letter response.

* * *

Gilbert entered his grandfather's house, remembering to take off his shoes at the front, and trudged his way to his room. He had decided to loiter around a bit, and headed to the nearby park for the hell of it. He was about to stay a bit longer, but decided against it when it started to suddenly rain lightly. He wasn't drenched or anything, which was the good thing. He dropped his black back-pack to the floor, closing the door as he took his phone and put his music on to the max. Gilbird fluttered out of his pocket, and went into a cage with his food and other things inside. Gilbert took out a pack of bird feed, and poured it into a bowl, and gave it to Gilbird to eat. He lay on his bed, and took out his PSP from one of drawers.

He started to play a game, and this continued for another 20 minutes before a sharp knock interrupted him. He quickly placed game on his dresser, got up and opened the door. He was relieved to find it was only Ludwig. He was wearing a simple white shirt and grey sweats, his hair not combed back like it always was during the day. Gilbert just noticed he was wearing a white apron.

" ** _<_** Nice apron. Can I help you with anything?>" Gilbert asked his younger brother as he leaned against the doorway. Ludwig looked at him with a hint of annoyance, as he quickly untied his apron and let it hang off his arm.

" ** _<_** Can you turn that music off?>" Ludwig asked, folding his arms as Gilbert turned off the music. " ** _<_** Come downstairs. Dinner is ready. And wash your face. Didn't you at least do that right after you come home? Or, at least take a bath->"

"<Yes, Mother>," Gilbert said with an eye roll as he headed to the washroom. He turned on the tap, and splashed water on his face. He continued in German,"Calm yourself, _West_. I'll take a shower after dinner. Anything else you have to say to me?"

"Grandpa will be joining us. If I remember correctly, you got your marks for your Math test yesterday, right? I have my marks back today. You know, he'll be asking about it, right?" Gilbert froze as the water washed away the soap from his hands. Oh shit. He forgot about that. Well, he shouldn't worry, since he passed with a 60. Well, it's better than failing. Although, he'll be disappointed…like always.

"Yeah, I remember," Gilbert muttered as he made his way down the staircases, Ludwig right behind him. The brothers went down the hallways, to the dining room, beside the kitchen. They found their grandfather, Alaric, already seated there all neatly. He was still wearing his work clothes, and his long blonde hair was pulled back into a low ponytail.

"Where were you until now, Gilbert?" Were the first thing Alaric asked when the duo took a seat opposite to each other. He didn't even look up to Gilbert.

"I was with Elizabetha, Vash, and Roderich," Gilbert simply stated, taking a sip from his glass of water, hoping that he wouldn't ask him about his test. Hopefully he forgot Gilbert told him about it.

"Where?"

"Just the mall."

"And it took you this long?" Alaric continued in German.

"Most of the buses were crowded, so I had to wait," Gilbert lied, putting some mashed potatoes on his plate, along with some vegetables.

"Oh yeah?" His grandfather asked, seeming like he didn't believe him.

"Yep." A silence ensued as they ate- well, it was only Ludwig and Mr. Beilschmidt that actually ate. Gilbert was silently, using his fork to move the food around his plate.

"What happened to that Math test you had, Gilbert? Ludwig, you had one too, correct?" _Shit_ , Gilbert thought, as his red-coloured eyes made contact with Ludwig's calm blue-coloured eyes, begging Ludwig not to say anything. Ludwig caught on, and just replied with a quick 'Yes', not saying anything else.

"Well? I was told by your teachers that you received it back."

"95%," Ludwig replied, looking at Gilbert who didn't look away from his plate as he replied.

"60%," Gilbert muttered his response, preparing himself for the comments he'll be receiving. From the corner of his eyes, he could see a thin line of disapproval on his grandfather lips.

"…Did you study, Gilbert?"

"...Yeah."

"Then what happened to the rest of the 40%?"

"It went missing."

"I'm pretty sure you'll find it in summer school," Alaric replied back to his comment. Ludwig looked uncomfortably between the two of them, not liking the tense atmosphere that settled in, even though he's witness these things many times.

"They're all careless mistakes aren't they?"

"...yep…"

"Where do you think carelessness is going to lead you, Gilbert?"

Gilbert didn't reply, but instead he glared at him.

"You haven't changed at all from any of your previous years. You're always out, doing something pointless. You're way below the class' average. Honestly Gilbert, this is first year Math. Your brother is getting better marks than you. I never got marks below 90. You're just so-" He didn't finish his line, but Gilbert decided to finish it for him.

"Embarrassing to have?"

"I never said that." He snapped.

"Well, it's obvious you _think_ that. You know, you keep comparing me to Ludwig and you. It's like you're saying, compared to Ludwig, "the outstanding student", I'm the failure. Makes sense, right?" He then muttered to himself, "I'm pretty sure you say that yourself."

"And when was that?" Alaric snapped. Maybe it was best if Gilbert just remained quiet like he'd always did, and ignore him. But, he could help but yell back.

"You always complain about me! You always have to find some sort of flaw in me! As if I haven't gone through enough shit already to hear you complain about me not living up to your standards, which I try to do. It is so _annoying_!"

"Annoying? No, I'm simply stating the truth as I see it. And maybe I wouldn't have to be 'complaining' if you behave properly instead of being useless and doing nothing."

"Oh, and how do you know I do nothing?!"

"Obviously with the marks you're getting, it's like you're not trying."

"I am trying-"

"Well, you know what, Gilbert? I've told this 100 times, but it's like nothing is going through your head. You have to try harder or else you won't resort to _anything_ when you're older! I'm not going to be there to tell you what to do or what not to do, and when you have to work! You're work habits have to change or else you'll be back on the streets like you were before when you were living with!"

"Then I rather return to the streets instead of staying in this hell-hole! At least I don't get judged or told how fucked up I'll be in the future based on my grades there!"

"Then you can go! I don't care! You're welcome to leave anytime, Gilbert! No one's going to stop you."

Neither of them realised that they were standing as they were yelling. Gilbert's chair was knocked to the floor, lying on its back. He looked between Ludwig and his grandfather, before angrily leaving the dining table. Gilbert then made his way out of the dining room, straight to the corridor, taking the flight of stairs up to his room.

He didn't hesitate to slam the door hard so that anyone in the house could hear it. Gilbird was sleeping at that moment, and the noise slightly surprised him. However, he went back to sleep. He laid down on his front on his bed. He turned on his lamp, bringing in more light then what the moon had to offer, and turned around to look at his bedroom's ceiling.

Words etched into his mind as he continued to look blankly at the ceiling, deep in thought. _Useless. Nuisance._ He had heard way worse things. Yet, these things that he had heard so many times still hurt. Voices started to slowly crawl into his head and he felt darkness fall on him.

**_It's so obvious. His grand-father is vice-principal in this school. I'm pretty sure he's the only reason why he got in. That's the only reason._ **

**_He's an embarrassment._ **

**_He should do us a favour and leave. We'd all be better off without him._ **

**_You'll be back on the streets like you were before!_ **

**_You're welcome to leave anytime!_ **

_Maybe I should just do him a favour and leave the house,_ Gilbert thought dully, subconsciously drawing lines along his wrists. _Or I should do the whole world a favour and just…disappear…_

 _Yes…Disappear…_ A soft, cold voice hissed in his mind, and suddenly he felt his body go cold and a bit rigid. He could have just stop thinking about it, but he just sunk deeper. Gilbert's mind slowly turned fuzzy, and he closed his eyes. He was slowly slipping into darkness, not able to control what was happening to him. The voice started to get louder and louder…

_Honestly, Gilbert, what's the point of staying in this world? We should just…Disappear..._

Gilbert's eyes opened quickly when he heard a sharp knock on his door, his mind suddenly began conscious about where he was.

He laid there a few seconds, confused at what had just happened to him. It was like he had just awoken from a dream. There were another knock on the door, and he sat up straight. His throat was a bit dry and he had a bit of sweat on his forehead. _What just…happened?_

"C-Come in," Gilbert said, his voice cracking a bit as he wiped his forehead. The door opened, and he saw Ludwig peek in through the door, his clear, cerulean eyes unsure about coming in.

"What's up, Ludwig?" Gilbert asked, as Ludwig came in. In his hands was a plate of mashed potatoes, sausages, with some boiled vegetables, and a glass of water.

"You didn't eat dinner, so I brought you some food…" Ludwig said, but his voice trailed off a bit.

"How were you able to get this up here without grandpa stopping you?" Gilbert said as he accepted the plate. He hadn't realised how hungry he was until he saw the food, and his stomach let out a low growl.

"After you left, he got a call from Mr. Vargas and he had to leave." Ludwig simply replied, as he took a seat on a chair across from Gilbert's bed.

"Geez, thanks West," Gilbert said gratefully as he started to stuff some food into his mouth.

"No problem," Ludwig said with a small smile. He then looked slightly down, as if he was thinking of something. Gilbert noticed the look in his younger brother's eyes, like something was also bothering him.

"What's wrong?" Gilbert asked after a few minutes of silence between the two. Ludwig looked at with a slightly confused face.

"What do you mean, what's wrong?"

"You look like something's annoying you," Gilbert replied, taking a few gulps from the glass.

"Nothing is wrong."

"Now that's loads of crap. C'mon. You know you can tell me anything, right? I've told you that before."

"Yeah, about a hundred times, along with you telling me how awesome you are."

"So? What's up? Did you ask someone out and they broke your heart?"

"No, that's not it," Ludwig sighed, as he avoided eye contact with Gilbert. He bit his bottom lip, and looked like he was trying to think of how he should reply to his question. A silence fell between them, as Gilbert stared at Ludwig, expecting him to reply.

" _Bruder_?" Ludwig started after a few more seconds of silence. He looked down, and he took out the black string from his necklace. It had a black cross pendant, outlined with silver metal.

"Yeah?"

"You…Do you remember how I…was in the hospital when I was around 12?" He started to fidget a bit with the pendant. "And it was all weird and I couldn't remember any of you guys?"

"A-Ah," Gilbert managed to say, taken aback from his younger brother's question. He blinked a few times, and cleared his throat. "Yeah. What…about it?"

"Oh, um…you know how, I don't remember anything before that?"

"Uh…yes…"

"Okay," Ludwig sighed, rubbing his temple. "Well…first, can you…tell me how?"

"Tell you how what?"

"Can you tell me about how I ended up in the hospital?"

Gilbert sat there frozen, staring at Ludwig with wide, crimson eyes. He could have sworn his heart stopped for a moment, and a sudden lump of emotion started to build up when a memory of what Ludwig was talking about flashed through his mind. This question is something Ludwig had asked before, but Gilbert hadn't heard it for so long now.

"Nothing happened. You just fell asleep, and you just woke up without knowing anything."

"Right. So, I just fell asleep one day and I somehow was able to have a cast on my arm?" Ludwig asked sarcastically.

"Uh…yeah?"

"Stop it, Gilbert. You told the same thing over and over. How long are you and grandpa going to stop hiding what happened?"

"Who says I'm hiding anything?"

"You're not telling me what actually happened. Why can't you just tell me?"

"How is knowing going to help you Ludwig? Nothing's going to happen whether you know or you don't know. What happens in the past stays in the past."

"I'm just curious, Gilbert," Ludwig said, rocking the chair back and forth impatiently. "What's wrong with knowing?"

"Nothing's wrong with knowing." _I just don't want to remember the past, that's all_. Gilbert thought darkly. "I just think it'd be best if we don't talk about it, ya know? It's not gonna resolve anything."

"Not like I even remember anything before I woke up for me to talk about," Ludwig muttered to himself. This conversation wasn't leading to anywhere for now, and it was making Gilbert very uncomfortable. He just stretched out his arms and replied,

"Man, I'm so tired! I may as well take a shower! Can you be a nice brother and bring my dishes to the kitchen please?" Gilbert asked as he grabbed his towel that hung on his closet door, and casually strode to the bathroom.

"W-What?" Ludwig asked, looking outside his room. "No way! Do it yourself!"

"Please?" Gilbert whined as he lay against the doorway of the bathroom.

"…Okay, fine," Ludwig grumbled irritably, returning back into Gilbert's room. He emerged out with a plate and glass in hand, shooting him a dirty look when he passed Gilbert.

"Thank you. I love you too," Gilbert teased, and he swore he saw the edge of Ludwig's lips turn upwards into a smile, like he was trying to supress a laugh.

"Yeah, sure," Ludwig said as he walked downstairs.

* * *

_He stared out the window of the car he was in, along with Ludwig and his parents. Gilbert sat in the back seat of the car, and Ludwig had moved over closer to Gilbert, laying his head on his brother's shoulders, trying to ignore the constant arguing they heard from their parents. Honestly, couldn't they wait until they got home to argue when they get home like they always did?_

_Gilbert couldn't remember what they were talking about. But, he was pretty sure it was something extremely stupid, like always. He had heard them argue way too many time, with at least one of them blaming him and his brother for how shit their lives are. He was pretty sure that his father was drunk as he drove, too. It must have been because of his carelessness on the road that caused what happened next._

_All too suddenly, a harsh impact was made on the other side of the car, mostly at the front with his father drove. It wouldn't have been that bad if it weren't for the fact that they were on the high-way, and right beside the railing, blocking cars from falling down the steep hill._

_Everything else was spinning for Gilbert. All he can remember is the car starting to roll, and everything was spinning, along with the car being crushed and the glasses breaking. Some of it made contact with his skin. Before he could even progress anything, he must have hit his head on something hard, because the scene suddenly started to fade into darkness. The distant sounds of sirens were the last thing he heard before losing his consciousness._

* * *

The next morning, when Gilbert woke up, he was feeling oddly very depressed. He couldn't move; his body felt limp. He felt like something was weighing him down. It took some time before he forced himself out of his bed.

It didn't stop there. It was eating away at him right up till the beginning of lunch that day. That dream he had last night just added on to what he felt before during that night. He needed to get rid of this feeling. And how was he supposed to do that? Easy- he had found a way to release stress in a way that it came in a pocket-sized box filled with tobacco filled rolls.

He knows how he promised himself to never inhale that shit ever again since last month during the summer, but he was starting to feel the urge for a while now, and he couldn't resist the temptation. So, the moment the bell rang, he just made his way straight towards the roof. He was supposed to meet Matthew that day too, but if he's pretty sure he'll be done before Matthew came upstairs. It was just going to be one little breath anyway. Nothing too big. And it's not like he was going to buy another pack later.

Gilbert laid against the railing of the roof, looking off to the distance. Ever since their first visit up here, he had decided to let the door be unlocked so Matthew could just let himself in during lunch. He'll give him a key later, if he can find another one lying around.

Taking out the packet and a lighter from his bag pocket, he took out a piece from the pack. He hesitated a bit before lighting the cigarette. He finally lit it up, and inhaled the tobacco-smoke slowly. It's been too long since he had taken one. The taste was bitter and terrible in his mouth, but he soon got used to it as he started to inhale and exhale deeply. The more Gilbert did this, the more he actually felt a bit of relief. He didn't know why, but he always felt that way whenever he inhaled that poison. Just as the smoke flows and disappears into the air, so does his feelings and stress he's been having.

Gilbert knew that he'd get into a lot of trouble if he was caught smoking, especially on school property. Already he's in a deep hole and having a hard time getting out of it. He doesn't need to dig deeper. Maybe he shouldn't have decided to take his time smoking. Or, actually, maybe he shouldn't have decided to smoke on the roof at all.

Because, suddenly, he heard the door to the roof behind him open as he drew in a deep breath from the cigar. And the soft, quiet voice of Matthew asking, "…Gilbert?"


	12. Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, more useless banter between friends at the end because Matthew needs to be seen with them too.

"U-Um…Matthew?"

"Huh?" Matthew snapped out of his small daze, and looked up towards Ravis, who was sitting beside him like he always did during Business class. Ravis looked at Matthew with his deep-blue eyes, a hint of worry etched into his face like always.

"Yes? You were saying?" Matthew asked, urging him to go on even though he had no idea what Ravis was talking about up till this point. He laid his tilted head on top of his hand, supporting himself so he doesn't fall if he ever decided to suddenly go to dreamland again.

"You look like you're going to fall asleep any moment now," Ravis continued. "Were you up all night doing homework?"

"Well…" Matthew slurred, thinking about the previous night he had spent with Alfred at their Dad's house. Even though it was a school night, Arthur allowed the two to stay up to finish homework...more specifically, Alfred's homework. Alfred decided to leave his Science assignment at the last moment, and he was begging Matthew to help him out. Although, Matthew didn't have that class yet, he still was able to help him out, and somehow his brother was able to write it all down before midnight.

And because of that, Alfred had decided that they can still stay up for a few more minutes, since Arthur was fast asleep, and booted up his gaming system. They ended up staying up until past one in the morning, and could have gone on playing video games if Matthew hadn't checked the time.

"Sort of," he finally whispered, with a small chuckle. "I had to help my brother with his, and then we ended up staying up late playing video games."

"What game?"

"Arjun, Jairo, can you stop talking and please get back to work?" Ms. Mona called out calmly from her desk suddenly for what might have been the fourth time already, glancing at two students on the opposite side of the room.

"But, Miss, what about them?" Jairo exclaimed offensively, pointing towards both Ravis and Matthew, not bothering to even call their names. Ravis flinched when he pointed towards him. "You always call us out! They're talking too! And so is everyone else!"

"They actually _do_ their work," she replied back in the same even and calm tone, not even looking back up towards them and continued to write something on a piece of paper. "Unlike the two of you, who haven't yet finished."

"But Miss, how do you know if we didn't finish our work!" Arjun added, as if challenging her. Ms. Mona raised an eyebrow, and gave him this look that could have read as 'are-you-serious?'

"Then, you won't mind if I collect your work right now and marking them?" This made both of the students remain quiet, and return to working on the computer, not speaking another word. Although, after they turned back to the computer screen, Matthew could see one of them glancing at them (or mostly Ravis) and mutter something along the lines of 'teacher's pets'.

However, Matthew didn't pay much towards them as they said that. His mind wandered off to something- or more specifically, someone- else. His face. His smile. His laugh, as odd as it sounds. Matthew didn't understand why he was thinking of him often. Maybe it's because he's one of the first people he actively hangs out with. The first person who actively talks to him. He wasn't sure why he felt happy when he thought of him.

One thing is for sure though; Matthew can't wait for it to be lunch.

"Matthew?" Ms. Mona asked when she caught him staring. "Do you need help with something?"

"N-No, Miss," Matthew managed to stutter out, before he knew for sure that a blush was going to form over his cheeks, and he turned away from her. Ravis looked at him weirdly, seeming to wondering why Matthew seemed so flustered.

* * *

Swiftly going up the staircase to the top floor of the school, Matthew headed towards the rooftop where he usually meet Gilbert during certain days, during lunch. He knew for sure that the albino was already there when he opened the door that lead to another flight of stairs towards the roof. Gilbert would unlock the door whenever he arrived first (which was all the time) so Matthew could just let himself in.

Matthew walked up the stairs, silently opening the door that stood on the top. He felt himself relax a bit when he walked outside, and a small breeze flew by. Pushing some strands behind his ear, the youth glanced over towards the railing. A small smile played on Matthew's lips when he saw the familiar figure, however, it quickly disappeared.

There was this scent in the air that he recognized immediately as cigarettes…something he truly hated.  It might be because Francis once did it, too, that makes Matthew detest it. He had quit way before, and decided alcohol is much better to make him forget about everything else in life. But it still makes Matthew nostalgic.

Smoke was floating up to the air, and it was coming from Gilbert. It automatically clicked inside Matthew's head when he saw that. He quietly walked up towards the boy, wondering if he even knew that Matthew was standing a few steps away from him.

"…Gilbert?" He asked in his usual quiet whisper. Gilbert head turned around quickly, like he's been caught by the police. Matthew saw his eyes widen at the sight of seeing him, but Matthew view was at his hand, where a cigarette was in his hand. He was right.

"You smoke?" Matthew asked, although the tone in his voice was not even surprised. That must have been the stupidest thing to ask him, but Matthew couldn't have thought of anything else.

"…" Gilbert didn't reply right away, and instead just lay his arms on the railing, facing away from Matthew, taking in another breathe from the cigarette he held and exhaling. It was a few seconds before he spoke. "I never did deny any of those things, did I?" Matthew knew he was talking about that time on the roof when he knew how the blonde had thought of him.

"So," Matthew started, thinking of how to respond. He walked up beside Gilbert, not hesitant. "So, you actually…did, all that stuff?" Did he actually steal? Did drugs? Get in trouble with the law?

"…" He didn't reply, and Matthew took the silence as a yes.

"Oh." _Oh._ That's all the boy could say. He didn't know what else to say to Gilbert.

"Since I was around 11 or 12," Gilbert suddenly spoke in no more than a raspy whisper, drawing Matthew's attention on him. "I can't remember how old I was, but I know that I started to do it after I was 10." Matthew thought he was going to stop there, since it basically answered one of the questions he has been thinking, but then he continued.

"The place I lived in Berlin was legit the shittiest place to live in. There were street-fights and people going out at each other every single fucking night. The police really didn't help in that area."-There was a slight pause, as if he was thinking of what to say next- "I started getting involved with kids that were way older than me to get away from everything. Like, they were around sixteen. But, the age doesn't really matter. What I did…" He didn't even finish, but switched topics instead.

"I started skipping classes getting into a lot of fights. I also started to get into drugs. Drinking. I kind of stole too. Nothing too major, though. I'm not into those kinds of things anyway."

Matthew continued to stare at Gilbert wide-eyed, not knowing what to say. Was he really in a place to know all this? Why was he even telling him this, anyway?

"You wanted to know about my past, right?" Gilbert started, finally looking straight into Matthew's eyes. He was looking at Matthew with a face he couldn't quite decipher. "That's why I'm telling you."

"It's okay…You don't have to," Matthew managed to say, shifting uncomfortably. "I don't want to intrude." A question was lingering inside his head, but he didn't know whether or not he was in a place to ask Gilbert.

"If you want to ask me anything, I don't mind answering," Gilbert said, reading the look on Matthew's face.

"…Your parents?" _What did they say to all of this?_

"My parents…" Gilbert wavered and looked over the railing. Matthew could see his eyes suddenly filled with sudden hurt, as if the thought of them pained him. It clicked inside his head that he was entering a touchy subject, and he shouldn't have asked. "They never really cared. They always argued with one another about the most idiotic things, pointing the finger at me and Ludwig, getting drunk and ditching the house. I always wondered why the fuck they even got married to begin with. I think I would still be in Germany if they were still alive." Gilbert must have seen Matthew's look of confusion when he said that last line, so he proceeded to say, "We…got into a car accident."

"I guess my dad was drunk like the alcoholic he was, and he was distracted since he and my mom was arguing over some useless crap like they always did, and the car got hit by another car. Thing was, it killed both of them, and somehow me and Ludwig were able to live." Matthew saw Gilbert's fingers squeeze the cigarette, his body slightly shaking as if he was trying to hold his anger inside.

"Gilbert?" Matthew asked softly, gently placing a hand over his arm that lay on the railing. The closer he was to him; he could make out the faint scars of what could have been left by a blade on his skin.

"…It's not fair." He finally stated firmly, his eyebrows furrowing. "Shit! Why did Ludwig have to be there with me? I should have been the only one there!" It was like he was mostly yelling angrily himself, but nevertheless, Matthew didn't say anything else and listened.

"Because of that stupid incident, he ended up in the hospital along with me! Because of that stupid incident, he lost all his memories!"

"He lost all his memory?" _Stupid!_  Matthew scolded himself. It's enough that he's hearing all this, but was he even in a position to even ask a single question? Especially that question! Already he seemed like he was having difficulty telling Matthew this, but Matthew was pressing on? How could he be so stupid!

"Yeah," Gilbert whispered again in a dull tone. Matthew could tell it hurt him to remember and even say. "We both ended in the hospital. I only got my head hit, and I woke up immediately but…Ludwig ended up getting more injuries than me. And he was stuck in a coma, and stayed there for a long time. And when he finally woke he… He couldn't remember anything. He couldn't remember what happened before the accident,s, he couldn't remember our childhood, he couldn't remember." A slight pause was taken as he took in a deep breath, before muttering "…me."

At that moment, Matthew actually expected Gilbert to cry. The way his voice cracked and he had such difficulty saying those words; he thought that tears would start to fall. Because at that moment, Matthew thought about it in his own perspective.

What if he was in that situation? The mere thought made him feel sick to the stomach and he actually wanted to cry in Gilbert's place. But this is not what Gilbert did. Gilbert didn't shed a single tear after he said those words. He just stared ahead. If one day suddenly, Alfred completely forgot his existence, he wouldn't know how to handle it.

"That's when Grandpa got called, since he is our closest relative. He did eventually found out about what I've been doing, while he stayed in Berlin with us so Ludwig can do a recovery. He brought us here, but…"

"But?"

Gilbert then decided to take a breath in from the cigarette once more, inhaling, smoke escaping his mouth. "I was still troublesome. Now, looking back at what measures I took to at least smoke once every day, I feel so stupid. I even skipped the most important class just to do it just to rile the old man up. He eventually found out, anyway, but he never knew what I did during that time. Too bad, I ended up failing the class epically." _So that's why,_ Matthew thought, understanding that it was Math was the class he ended up failing.

"D-Do you still-"

"Do drugs? _Now_ I don't. I wasn't hooked up on the hardcore stuff, thankfully. I still drink, but it's limited. I'm not trying to be an alcoholic. But during last year, I did smoke some weed...it's light." There was another pause, and he took in another breath. Suddenly, he let out a small, idiotic chuckle, surprising Matthew. "I mean, it wasn't as bad as in Berlin. But, man, I was such an idiot. I didn't even think about the effects it had on me. Even now I'm smoking something that'll kill me if I keep this bad habit up."

"So? Why didn't you stop right away?" Matthew asked. "I..I'm not against weed. I think it's alright to use it...not too much though. But, why didn't you-"

"It's not that easy, Birdie. Once you start, it's…hard to stop. It's a bad excuse, I know, but…I couldn't suddenly go cold turkey. It was part of my life, like how we need water to survive. I needed it to survive. I get migraines and felt like shit when I didn't. The only reason I stopped was because...someone kept bugging me not to. But...too bad it still effected me."

"The effects?"

"Yeah, well, it affected me, of course. Hmm, well…like it was harder for me to carry out everyday things. I got tired easily, and gym was such a pain. Now, it improved a bit. And then, I started to forget things that happened during the day. Like the simplest things." Gilbert rubbed the back of his neck, while forcing a bit of a smile, chuckling. "It's a bit harder for me to remember things, even now. I guess my brain's permanently damaged from the weed, I used to do a lot when I started getting into that stuff. I need to repeat things over and over again like, a thousand times to keep it in here. But, I still give it my all."

A small pang of guilt shot through Matthew. All along, he was thinking negatively about Gilbert. All along he thought that Gilbert asked him to repeat everything because he was ignoring everything he was explaining and wanted to dearly annoy Matthew. And all along, he thought of him as an fool who didn't give a damn about others and looked out for himself only. He never thought that Gilbert would have to go through all that. Gilbert always had that cocky air to him. He'd talk loudly and obnoxiously, not caring if he annoyed others, always flashing his arrogant smile, and acted so carefree.

He shouldn't have been so quick to assume these things.

"I thought I changed," Gilbert interrupted. "I really thought that I have changed from how I was before. But, apparently, I'm still the same fucking idiot who can't do shit."

"…No," Matthew said suddenly out loud.

"Hm?"

Matthew looked at Gilbert and a random thought occurred. Looking at the boy right now, after hearing all of this, Matthew couldn't help but think how strong Gilbert was. "Yeah, what you did back then…it was quite stupid to be honest," Matthew replied. "But… I'm pretty sure you're not the 'same' idiot, or even just an idiot. You know that. I know that. So don't think that way. Also…" Matthew raised his hand. Gilbert looked at him questioningly. Matthew then snatched the cigar from the boy's hand.

Although it disgusts Matthew to even look at it and smell it, he then dropped it to the floor and step on it, to which Gilbert let out a small noise of astonishment from the back of his throat. "You should stop smoking. You did it with drugs and alcohol, I'm pretty sure you can stop this too. Do you have a packet?"

"Birdie, I don't think I can suddenly stop-"

" Just try, Gilbert. You've got nothing to lose," Matthew asked, still showing his hand as if asking for the rest of the cigarettes Gilbert must have hidden. Gilbert stared at Matthew for a moment, before rolling his eyes while taking the packet of cigars from his pocket, and dropped it reluctantly in Matthew's hand.

"You're going to put that in there?" Gilbert asked as Matthew dropped it inside his bag. "What'll happen if your annoying brother or Kirkland finds it?"

"I'll throw it in the garbage before going home," Matthew stated simply with a shrug. Gilbert continued to stare at Matthew. Thanks to the smoke, Gilbert's eyes were now red and watery, and his face looked was colourless. He seemed so…desperate. He seemed like his life has been sucked out of him, and there wasn't a hint of happiness in him.

"What?" Matthew asked, breaking the small silence between them.

"Why are you doing this, Birdie?"

"Doing what?"

"Doing, well…this, I guess. You know, asking me to stop when really it's none of your business what I do. Why do you suddenly care?"

Matthew thought about this for a moment. Why does Matthew care? No, wait, the first question should be: Did he **suddenly** care? No, he didn't **suddenly** care about Gilbert, that'd just make Matthew sound like he never really cared about the albino to begin with. And if he didn't even care about Gilbert to begin with, then why was he still there? He could have stopped talking to the boy, and stop helping him out with Math if he didn't care. But, he didn't. That means that he does actually care about him. Then, when did he start caring? That, he didn't know for sure when he started to care. At the beginning of the year, he couldn't care less about Gilbert. But soon, he started to hang out the youth, and he started to actually take a liking to him. Maybe it was since the beginning, ever since he accepted Ms. Khemet's request to help Gilbert. He admits that he wanted to refuse initially, but didn't. And ever since then, he actually looks _forward_ to be with Gilbert.

"I don't **_suddenly_** care," Matthew said. "If I didn't care about you, Gilbert, then I still wouldn't be helping you with Math and let you do everything yourself, much less be talking to you and be standing right here." Matthew saw the tips of Gilbert's mouth turn up to a small smile. Not those harsh, arrogant smirks, but more like a soft one. And his facial features softened a bit, giving a sense that he was obliged for that response.

"Come on," Matthew spoke, gesturing Gilbert to come along with him, walking up to the wall that was on the side of the doorway. Gilbert suddenly bent down to the cigar and picked it up, while Matthew looked at him questioningly.

"I'm throwing it away," Gilbert replied to his confused face, walking a few steps towards a nearby, small, garbage can, tossing the cigar bud into it. "The last thing I need is someone coming up here, and immediately ratting out." Matthew simply nodded, sitting down.

"…You know, Birdie," Gilbert started when he plopped himself beside Matthew. "You really one tough kid. I don't know if I would've" To this, Matthew had to smile, yet blush a bit at the same time, at the compliment.

"You should chew on some gum," Matthew remarked, noticing the smell of smoke lingering on Gilbert's breathe.

"Way ahead of you, Birdie," Gilbert said, taking out a packet of fresh-mint gum, and popped one into his mouth. He started to rub his eyes a bit, that was already irritated by the smoke.

"Don't do that," Matthew stopped him from rubbing his eyes, pulling his hands away. "You're eyes are going to get more irritated."

"Do I look that bad?" Gilbert asked, looking at Matthew. Matthew raised an eyebrow at him. He did look like quite a mess.

"Well, yeah, but I'm pretty sure you'll be back to normal."

Soon, it was just like it always was for Matthew and Gilbert; Matthew eating his lunch and at the same time as teaching, while Gilbert tries to memorise everything and repeatedly did different equations, trying to get a hand of things. However, Gilbert's mind and voice sounded sluggish, like he didn't have enough energy to do anything, but they carried on. It was like they were trying to ignore what they were talking about before, and returning everything back to normal. Although, neither of them could, but they don't have any plans to bring it up. After their little lesson, they still have quite some time left, so they started to have conversations about different things; specifically, about themselves.

Things could have stayed on its normal trail, if Gilbert hadn't asked Matthew a specific question that turned towards a different trail.

"How's life for you, Birdie?" Gilbert asked as he dazed up towards the big white clouds that soar lazily across the sky, obviously not knowing what else to ask the blonde. Matthew followed his gaze, and stared up to the clouds along with him.

"Meh," Matthew mumbled with a small shrug. "It's okay, I guess."

"What'd you mean, 'I guess'?"

"It depends on what you mean by life."

"You only have one life."

"Depends on what you believe. If you believe that you reincarnate into a different specie after you die, then you probably have more than one life." Gilbert chuckled at Matthew response, and continued,

"This life I mean; like school life, love life, home life…"

"My school life is going perfectly fine, minus the fact that I'm mistaken for my brother…and I'm stuck with you…"

"Ouch," Gilbert said, cackling at the same time. "Harsh, Birdie."

"I'm kidding," Matthew said with a small smile, gazing up to the sky. "For home life…it's not the best, I guess."

"How so?" Gilbert asked, interested in what Matthew would be saying.

"Well…" Matthew began, a bit hesitant at first. He'd never shared this with anyone else, and he never discussed his feelings about it, except with Alfred. They talked about it many times before, whenever they were alone and it was only the two of them. "My Dad he…he's not really …there with my brother and I. I-I mean, he is there, but we're not that…close, I guess? He doesn't really talk to us much nowadays. W-Well, I guess he's under stress so, which is understandable because he's a teacher and he's trying to handle me and my brother by himself, so he wouldn't have enough time to exactly sit down and chat. Whereas, my Papa-" Matthew stopped himself short. He wasn't sure if Gilbert knew about Arthur being gay and marrying his Papa. And he didn't even know if Gilbert was one of those people who were completely against it.

"Do you…" Matthew started, twisting a strand of hair nervously. "Um, have anything against…gay people?" Gilbert looked at him, a bit startled at the question, but he didn't have a hint of disgust on his face. Just a bit surprised at how sudden it was.

"Uh, no…" Gilbert said slowly, as if he was unsure. "Why? Oh, wait…are you talking about your parents? 'Cause, I already know that they're both guys."

"You do?"

"Well, yeah. I'm friends with a stalker by the name of Eliza, so obviously she'd know everything about everyone," Gilbert admitted, but then laughed like he was only joking. "No, that's only partly how I know. I know because I overheard him telling…I think it was Ms. Braginski…something about his boyfriend-your other dad, I think."

"Oh," Matthew replied flatly, annoyed at the mention of his Dad's boyfriend. "No, well, I'm pretty sure he's talking about someone else. My parents got separated two years ago."

"Wait…did they get a divorce?"

"No, they're just separated."

"…Then when Mr. Kirkland was talking about his boyfriend, he's talking about some other guy who isn't your…Papa?" Gilbert said slowly, trying to process this. Matthew nodded.

"Yeah. I know, it's complicated."

"Okay," Gilbert replied slowly, as if he was unsure about something. "Then what about your Papa?"

"My Papa?" Matthew repeated. "He works at a bar. I'm pretty sure you've heard of it. _Braginski's Bar_?" He saw Gilbert tense up a bit, but then he immediately relaxed.

"Yeah, it's owned by Ms. Braginski's father," Gilbert replied.

"Yeah. He worked there part-time before, while working part-time as a chef-"

"Whoa!" Gilbert exclaimed. "Why two jobs at once? Couldn't he get a full-time job?"

"There were no full-time offers for him, and already the part-time job at the restaurant he used to work at paid him well. He had both ever since he married my Dad, and well, he kept it like that. He never ended up quitting his bar job. But now he works there full time now."

"At the bar? What happened to the restaurant he worked at?"

"O-Oh, ah," Matthew mumbled awkwardly. "He, um-"

"You know, you don't have to tell me," Gilbert said, noticing how uncomfortable and flustered Matthew seemed. "Don't force yourself to. As I said before, you don't want to tell me, don't tell me. I don't mind, or care if you don't."

"No, it's just that I've never actually told people this," Matthew whispered, a bit timidly. Up until then, he wasn't sure whether he should be talking about this or not. But, oddly, he just felt that he should talk about this to someone. It actually made a bit of sense to tell Gilbert, since he had just told him about his personal issues too.

But, that's not only why he's going to tell him. Matthew felt something inside him kind of shift when Gilbert said those words. It was kind of like how he felt when Gilbert said that to him before, too. He just couldn't find a word to describe what he felt. "I've only ever talked about it with Alfred, so, it's kind of odd telling other people."

"See, my Papa got fired from working at the restaurant. That's how he ended up working full-time at the bar," Matthew started with a whisper. He could tell Gilbert wanted to know why, so he continued, "He got fired from the restaurant two years ago, a few weeks after my parents separated, so he's been working there for a long while." And then, words that he didn't meant to say started to come out of his mouth. He felt his throat tighten.

"It's weird, I still remember what had happened between them. It was the middle of the night, and I woke up because they were yelling at each. Even now, I wonder what happened to make them argue that way. They never did anything like this before, so it…it kind of scared me. One moment, I was home, and the next thing I knew, my Dad took us to the car. "

"It sucked. Certain arrangements had to be made. I stayed with my Papa, while Alfred was with my Dad. But, it's not like we can't see each other or stay over at each other house, we can do that whenever we want to. Although… it never occurred to me at first that my Papa had started to…be problematic because of it. It actually took me a long time to find out, and I wanted him to stop drinking excessively…I don't care about drinking alcohol but when it's to the point where you can't even communicate properly it just sucks…I guess drinking was something he couldn't go without."

"So, what, he still drinks?"

"Yeah," Matthew's voice cracked, and he looked down sadly. "I'm pretty sure he does. " He then forced a content tone, and a smile, "But, hey, he doesn't smoke, so that's some sort of accomplishment, I guess."

He then felt a thumb across his cheek. He glanced beside him, to find Gilbert wiping his face gently with his hand.

"W-What are you doing?" Matthew exclaimed, surprised by this sudden action.

"You're crying," Gilbert stated simply. It was then Matthew realised that tears were rolling down his cheeks. He quickly took off his glasses and wiped his eyes with his sleeves, muttering, "O-Oh…I am…"

No matter how many times Matthew wiped his eyes, the tears kept on coming like a neverending flow. It was quite embarrassing for Matthew, to be honest. There he was, sitting in front of Gilbert, simply telling him what's wrong with his family life, and now he was crying streams. Matthew was actually worried that Gilbert might scoff at him at being so weak as to cry.

"H-How stupid of me," Matthew muttered under his breath, forcing on another small smile. "Suddenly crying like this over something so simple…"

"It's fine, you know," Gilbert said, a bit too gently that Matthew wasn't even sure if it was actually him talking. "And an issue like that isn't so simple at all."

"I-It just…I'm tired," Matthew said quietly, not knowing how else to describe his situation. "I wish my Papa would stop drinking and working all the time. I rarely ever get to see him at home, and it's like he doesn't care that I'm even there most of the time. And I just wished my Dad would just be…there. It's like he's a different person at times whenever we're around him…The whole thing sucks. I just hate it. I hate this whole situation my family is. But, I don't think I should be complaining to you…my situation actually seems better-"

"No situation is better or worse than any other situation when you're still the one getting hurt," Gilbert said, irritated at what Matthew had said and pointed his index finger at him, pushing his chest. "You're getting hurt, right?"

"W-Well…not directly no-"

"But, you don't like it, right?"

"…No…I don't…and it does hurt me…"

"Well, then, that's all that matters, really. Doesn't matter what the situation is. You're getting hurt, and that's the main point. Screw how different our- or heck, other people's- situations are. And don't ever say or think that way either. Besides, it's good not to bottle up your feelings."

"O-Okay…" Matthew sniffled, taken aback by how serious Gilbert's words and action. The tears had now stopped falling, but his eyes were still a bit watery. Matthew started to fidget a bit with his fingers, ashamed for what he had said earlier. "I'm sorry…"

"Why are ya apologising for?" Gilbert asked.

"Uh…well…for saying what I said earlier," Matthew replied back, still fidgeting his fingers. "And making you…mad…"

"What? You're apologising for that? It's not like you were trying to insult someone or make someone mad, so I don't get why you said that…I wasn't even mad at all, either."

"Oh, ah, well…I'm sorry…"

"You know, Birdie, I just can't understand you right now," Gilbert said, crossing his arms and genuinely looking confused. "You're apologising for apologising for saying something that you shouldn't really be sorry for. Who will actually apologises for apologising for saying something that they shouldn't be sorry for? Wait…did that even make sense just now?" Gilbert then repeated what he previously said to himself, looking up to the sky sceptically, in deep and utter thought. It made Matthew giggle a bit at how he was seriously thinking about that. His eyes were squinting a bit, his eyebrows furrowed down and his hand stroking his chin, as if he had an invisible beard on it. It gave him this sort of air like he was a detective trying to crack a difficult case.

"What's so funny?" Gilbert asked, noticing right away Matthew's giggle.

"I-It's just that…you're face looked really funny just now," Matthew admitted, as Gilbert shot him a sort of glare, causing Matthew to laugh a bit more.

"Oh, thanks Matthew," Gilbert retorted. "That was really awesome of you to say."

"No problem," Matthew replied. There was a short silence as Gilbert laid his back against the stone wall again, his hands weaved through each other fingers and placed behind his head to support it.

"So," Gilbert said, breaking the silence. "That's what's up with your family."

"Yeah," Matthew said, lying back to the wall again.

"You never told anyone this?"

"No," Matthew said. "You're the first person I ever told this to, actually."

"Hm. That's nice to know."

"Why's that?"

"If I'm the first person you've ever told this to, then that must mean that you actually trust me."

Trust him? The word trust never occurred to him when he was about to tell him. Maybe that's the felt. That sounded about right, now that he thought about. He actually did feel this sense of _trust_ for Gilbert. _Gilbert. Trust._ It made Matthew chuckle a bit to think that way. If he'd had asked himself if he trusted Gilbert at the very beginning when he first met him, his response would have been a flat-out no, while laughing like that would be the most idiotic thing to do. But, now that he knows a lot more about Gilbert than meets the eyes, and Gilbert knows about Matthew, there is a sort of trust between them.

"You make it sound like trusting you is bad," Matthew said, noting how Gilbert's tone of voice sounded like he was laughing at something.

"I'm not exactly the first person people will come to and trust," Gilbert replied.

"Isn't there someone who trusts you?"

"Well, the closest one would have to be Ludwig, then Elizabetha."

"You know, you mention Elizabetha quite a few times whenever we talked. I also see you two hanging out quite a lot."

"Well, she was the first close friend I actually had ever since I came here, as much as we both deny it," Gilbert said with a crooked smile. "She knows a lot about me, and I know a lot about her. She's like a sister to me, but she'd always call us brothers."

"She's just a sister?" Matthew asked, and Gilbert gave him this annoyed look.

"Don't be part of the majority of the school who thinks that I actually had a thing for her," Gilbert said in a tired out tone, as if he heard a question like that all the time. "I'm being honest when I say she's like a sister. You want to know what else? I tried to think about her in a 'romantic' way, or so they say, but it just made me feel awkward. I can't imagine myself doing all those things couples do with her."

"What sort of things?"

"Well, yeah. You know, those things you'd always see in those lovey-dovey movies. They're all like"-Gilbert voice went a few octaves higher, cracking as he said- "'I love you so much, I can't imagine living without you! Now let's run into the setting sun together as we live happily ever after!' And then they hold hands and jump around in a field of flowers and all those weird things that I'd expect Roderich to do."

"Roderich?" Matthew repeated, and a mental image of the brown-haired boy with glasses he had met by the tree popped into his head. "…Oh! He's the one with the glasses, eh? Oh, but wait…didn't you call him Elizabetha's-"

"Boyfriend?" Gilbert finished with a cackled. "Yeah, I remember that. It's just something that been going on for quite a while."

"You mean, they're actually dating?"

"Well, no... Elizabetha has a serious crush on the guy for quite a while now, but nobody sure about the four-eyes…!" Gilbert just then realised what he had just told the blonde, and there was a bit of panic in his eyes. "U-Uh, do not even tell Elizabetha or anyone I told you this, okay, Birdie?! Or else I'm going to be the one who gets beaten up to a bloody pulp with a frying pan!"

"Aw…that's so cute," Matthew said in a soft, happy tone. Gilbert looked at Matthew with wide eyes, as if he was crazy.

"You think me getting beaten up until all my bones are broken with a frying pan is cute?!" Gilbert exclaimed.

"W-What? No, no…" Matthew said, while laughing at how Gilbert misunderstood, and his look of doubt. "I didn't mean _that_ was cute! I was talking about Elizabetha!

"Oh…Phew." Gilbert said with a sigh of relief. "For a second I thought that you were secretly loony like Ivan."

Matthew hadn't thought about it much recently, but when Gilbert mentioned Ivan, the question he's been meaning to ask Gilbert came to mind. Although he had only saw the two actually coming to contact and conversing once, he couldn't help but notice how cold Gilbert was about and towards Ivan.

"…Hey…can I ask you something? If you don't mind, that is…"

"Shoot," Gilbert said, blowing into the mint gum he still had in his mouth to form another bubble.

"What's up with you and Ivan?" The grade ten didn't reply right away, but instead kept blowing into the bubble until it popped. "I-I mean, you really seem to, well, uh, really dislike him. Why's that?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean 'I don't know'?"

"I just dislike him passionately. I can't think of a reason why."

"Huh? You can't just dislike someone for no apparent reason."

"Sure I can. Isn't there someone you have met and you just dislike right off the bat? Be honest, Birdie, be completely honest."

Matthew was about to reply with a 'no', but then he started to think about it more. The more he thought over it, there was actually one person he admits that he did dislikes them for no apparent reason. His Dad's boyfriend is who he was thinking about.

"There is, isn't there?" Gilbert asked, noticing how Matthew didn't reply back to him right away.

"…Okay, okay, there is," Matthew admitted, and Gilbert shot him one of those arrogant smirks.

" _Oh Mein Gott_ , I actually proved something wrong to Birdie!" He exclaimed to himself as if he found a rare gem. "I totally deserve an award."

"Sure," Matthew replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"So, who is it?"

"Excuse me?"

"Who's the person you dislike so much without a reason. I know you thought of someone."

"It's nobody."

"Oh, c'mon _Vögelchen_!"

"Why do you even want to know, Gilbert?"

"I'm curious to know what kind of person you dislike, because you don't seem to be the type to hate."

"Well, there is always someone I don't like, but I actually do have reasons for not liking them," Matthew said with a sigh. "You're included in the list."

"...I never understood why you're so rude to me, but you're so sweet and kind to other people."

"I'm only like that around you and Alfred."

"…Should I…take this as a compliment or insult?"

"Take it in any way you would like."

"Then, a compliment it is." There was slight pause between the two, before Gilbert resumed to say, "Actually, I think I do have a reason for disliking Ivan."

"Yeah?"

"Well, I don't think this can be a valid reason, but there's something about him that I find really…creepy. He has this cold aura that makes me want to stay away from him, you know. I remember last year, I got into a fight with him."

"Why?"

"…The guy was staring at me all weirdly, so I decided to ask him what he wanted. We somehow ended up fighting."

"…Okay, so who was the first to throw a punch?"

"U-Uh," Gilbert stammered, like he didn't want to admit it. "Well, I honestly don't know what I was thinking, but I kind of pushed him a bit, so he shoved me away. Then I kind of…punched him first."

"…The guy was staring at me all weirdly, so I decided to ask him what

"So, you got into a fight with him because he was…looking at you?"

"You haven't heard about him, Birdie. He is a sadistic psychopath who is completely crazy in the head."

"And you heard this from..?" Matthew asking unsurely.

"There are people who had class with him and said the exact same thing. He says and does the strangest things, and people say he talks to himself like he's two people. He's also on a bunch of medications because he has some sort of illness, and always ends up to the guidance council's office because he'd say things like a lunatic."

Matthew did not know how to respond to this, and was experiencing a sort of déjà vu. How Gilbert was talking about Ivan was also how Alfred and many others in the school view the guy. Based on the outside and not on the inside.

"But, I don't understand something, Gilbert."

"What?"

"You say this like you know for sure that he's like that. Have you ever actually talked to him or got to know him?"

"Uh…no?" Gilbert replied questioningly, unsure of where this would lead.

"So how can you know for sure that that's how he's really like? You're just judging him based on things other people say and appearances."

"Uh-"

"You should get to know him better before judging him. If I remember correctly, a certain _somebody_ told me this once upon a roof…" Gilbert did not reply to Matthew's comment.

" _Ja_ ," he spoke dully, rolling his eyes. " _Ja_ , I said that."

"And those comments and words you hear from people are quite rude. They could be just a bunch of rumours by people who have nothing better to do. They can also be quite hurtful. You should know how it's like, too. You actually heard things like that about you, right?" Gilbert still didn't reply to Matthew.

"But even if I never talked to him Birdie," Gilbert replied. "I know what he says to people, okay? He might not say it to me, but I know he does some fucked up shit."

"I'm just saying-" Before Matthew could continue his sentence; he felt his phone in his pocket vibrate. Stopping, he slipped his hand inside and took out his phone.

"What?" Gilbert asked, leaning in beside Matthew to check his phone's screen. "Who texted you?"

"I don't know," Matthew replied, since he hadn't even checked the name yet. On his screen was a text message from…Alfred.

Alfred texted him, _Hey, bro, where are you?_

"Why does he need to know where you are?" Gilbert asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Should I just tell him I'm on the roof with you-" All too suddenly, Gilbert snatched the phone out of Matthew's hand and started to text his brother.

"No, he doesn't need to know. What is he, your father?" Gilbert replied, as his fingers started to tap on the keys with such agile and speed.

"G-Gilbert! What are you doing?" Matthew asked, frantically trying to grab the phone back. The last thing he needed was Alfred to cause some sort of scene because of him being with Gilbert. Alas, Gilbert had already typed down a message and pressed the send button before Matthew can even react.

He had texted Alfred, _Why do you want to know where I am :P? It's none of your business_

"That's kind of direct. I know I'm direct, but I wouldn't say the last part" Matthew said when he saw the texting screen, and once again tried to snatch the phone away, but Gilbert held the phone away.

"Oh, calm down, Birdie! I need to have at least some fun, don't I? It might be nice to chat with your brother," Gilbert said, when the phone vibrated in his hand.

 _Uh, why can't I know? Is there something wrong with that, dude?_ Alfred texted.

 _It's none of yo business where I'm at._ Gilbert texted back.

"I don't type like that. He's going to know it's someone else," Matthew remarked.

"Really?" Gilbert said, smirking. Alfred didn't text back right away, and they received a reply after a minute.

_That's so mean of you, bro! DX I'm just asking, dude! You're such a meanie :'(_

"Right," Gilbert said when he read Alfred's text. "He totally knows it's somebody else. He's being so over-dramatic over that simple text."

"Well, yeah, he can be a drama queen at times," Matthew admitted. The phone vibrated once more, and they both looked at the screen.

_Class is about to start in about 10 minutes and you're not in the changing room!_

"What?" Both of the boys said at the same time, looking at each other. They then looked at the top of the screen to check the time. When they checked the time, they jumped up from the ground, quickly stuffed their books into their bags, and made a bolt for the door. They continued to speed walk down the hallways together to the main floor.

"Why this again?" Matthew asked himself in a mumble, his legs feeling sore from the countless stairs. The weight of his bag didn't really help with the situation. "Where's my phone?"

"Here," Gilbert said, tossing Matthew's phone into his hand, which he was able to catch.

"Gilbert, be careful!" Matthew exclaimed, clutching on to his phone, afraid it would fall.

"Later, Birdie!" Gilbert simply replied with a small cackle, before disappearing into the crowd of students that was in the foyer, trying to get themselves into class. Matthew rolled his eyes, and went down the hall to the change rooms.

* * *

 

Although he had expected the room to be empty, to his surprise, he found Feliciano and Kiku still in there with a few of their other classmates who Matthew did not really talk to. The two seemed to have been talking, and were just about to leave with the rest of their classmates.

"You better hurry or else you're going to be late, Matthew," Feliciano teased as he smiled, noticing Matthew rushed in hurriedly.

"Can't you guys wait for me?" Matthew asked, tossing his bag onto the bench and started to quickly take of his tie and shirt. Feliciano didn't seem to mind the idea of being late, so he sat on the bench near Matthew. Although Kiku didn't exactly jump to the idea

"But, we'll be late, Feliciano," Kiku said, seeming a bit worried.

"So?" Feliciano asked, pulling the young Japanese boy down to sit beside him. "You have to calm down, Kiku! It's not going to be the end of the world if you get one late mark on your perfect record!"

"It's not good to do so, Feliciano," Kiku replied politely, still looking worried about being late. "It shows a sign of irresponsibility."

"Hm... I don't care," Feliciano shrugged, saying this in his usual happy tone. Kiku didn't say anything more, and just waited quietly waited alongside Feliciano. The Italian swung his legs back and forth, like nothing bad will happen.

"You know, Kiku, you can go on ahead without me," Matthew said, hastily putting on his gym uniform. "You don't have to stay."

"…No, it is fine," Kiku said with a sigh, looking away to give Matthew privacy of some sort. He then muttered embarrassingly, "I don't want to go outside alone."

"Aw, Kiku!" Feliciano gushed. "You know, you're so cute when you're embarrassed!" He then looked at Matthew and asked, "Hey, Matthew? What took you so long? Usually you'd be here 10 minutes earlier."

"I just had stuff to take care of," he replied automatically, his uniform and bag into a locker and shutting it. "Let's go, before we're all late."

"We'll have to run!" Feliciano said, getting up from the bench. He then led the trio outside to the track, where, luckily, Mr. Jansen hadn't arrived yet. The whole entire 'crew' was there, too.

"Yo, dudes!" Alfred called when he saw the three, halting his conversation with Yong Soo.

"Did you guys Mr. Jansen while coming here, ?" Yong Soo asked. "We haven't seen him, and usually he'll always be waiting for us here!"

 "What if we have a replacement for the day? Maybe we can avoid doing so many laps today!"Feliciano exclaimed excitedly.

"If you decide to not do any of the laps, then I will force you to run instead," Ludwig said in a serious tone, coming out of nowhere behind Feliciano.

"A-Ah!" Feliciano stammered, as he jumped up with fright, and turned quickly around to look at Ludwig in surprise. "Ludwig! Where did you come from?!"

"I was here the whole time."

"But, I don't want to do laps," Feliciano complained, lazily swaying his arms around.

Ludwig gave him a look of disapproval, and said in a serious manner, "You have to learn to stop being lazy, Feliciano. It's not good!"

"But, I like being lazy!" Feliciano said, before noticing something a bit further away from them. He then pointed out, "Look, there are gooses!"

There on the edge of the field, around where there were at, were two Canadian geese, with their black head and neck with a few places where it was white, and greyish-brown feathered bodies. It was almost fall, and most likely they took a small break during their migration path. Feliciano seemed to have suddenly taken fascination of the goose, and he started to tug on Matthew for some odd reason.

"Oh. Oh! Those are _Canadian gooses_ , right?" Feliciano asked, then pulled Matthew forward, as if he was trying to quickly change subjects. "Can I take a closer look?"

"You mean geese?" Matthew quietly corrected.

"Why are you so excited for?" Tinos asked, a bit confused. "Don't you see them every day from where you're from?"

"In Venice, I rarely ever do!" Feliciano said, still clinging to Matthew. "I want to go catch it!"

"I don't think that would be the smartest idea, Feliciano," Kiku replied, looking like he was ready to pull him away.

"Well, since Mr. Jansen still hasn't arrived, I'll try too, daze~!" Yong Soo said happily, jumping alongside Feliciano.

"I'll also help!" Alfred exclaimed, standing right beside Yong Soo.

"You guys shouldn't be harassing the geese," Matthew said, not expecting them to actually run towards the geese. "Remember, Alfred, the first time you tried catching one? You got hurt."

"That was only once, bro," Alfred replied. "And it wasn't so serious!"

"It bit you and you started to cry."

However, Yong Soo, Feliciano, and Alfred did not pay attention to what Matthew had to say, and formed a sort of huddle, mumbling a plan amongst each other. Matthew could see that they all nodded in agreement, and started to slowly walk towards the geese.

"This is extremely ridiculous," Ludwig said when he saw that they were going to approach the geese. "They're actually going to do this. Where's the teacher when you need him?"

"Those guys aren't serious," Carlos muttered.

"They are going to do it," Emile replied. "But, if they do, it's not like they'd be able to catch it."

"Still, what will they do with it if they were to catch it?" Kiku spoke.

"Who knows," Ludwig mumbled. "Maybe roast it?"

"They can't, they're protected under the law," Matthew replied.

Carlos, Ludwig, Emile, Berwald, Kiku, Tinos and Matthew silently watched from the distance as Yong Soo and Alfred started to disperse from Feliciano, and went around the geese, staying opposite sides from one another. They made this sort of triangle formation, where one of the geese was in the middle and had nowhere to escape. The goose took notice of the three, and looked around. It then started to walk away quickly, but that was until they heard Alfred say,

"1…2…3…NOW!"

They both rushed in towards the middle at the same time, running towards the goose in an attempt that at least one of them could catch it. And (obviously) it failed. The goose was able to escape the gaps that were between them, and started to waddle quickly away. That didn't stop them from chasing the goose, though.

"Attack!" Alfred exclaimed as Yong-Soo and Feliciano started to run after it.

"This is so stupid, it's hilarious," Carlos said while laughing at how ridiculous they looked bending over and running to try to get it . Eventually, Feliciano was clumsy enough to trip over his own foot, causing him to fall on Alfred. Who then fell on Yong Soo. Basically, they fell on top of each other like a bunch of dominoes. And soon, they were on the ground in a pile. The goose decided that it was high time to leave and flew away, along with the other one.

"Get off of me!" They could hear Yong Soo cry loudly from underneath Alfred, who was underneath Feliciano. "You both are so heavy, daze!"

"Ah!" Kiku said worriedly when he saw them. "We should go check on them."

"I'm pretty sure they're fine," Berwald finally spoke.

"Still, we should check," Tinos replied. They glanced at one another, before making their way to where the trio were. When they approached them, they could see how they were arguing and yelling.

"You need to lose weight, Alfred!" Yong Soo exclaimed. "So heavy!"

"Dude, I'm not the only one on you! Feliciano's on me too!"

"I can't breath!" Yong-Soo squeaked. He then noticed Kiku coming towards him, and he attempted to flail his arms. " ** _Hyung_**! Help me!"

"Yo, Feli, get off of me!" Alfred exclaimed. "You're heavier than you look, ya know that?!"

"I am, I am! **_Uno secondo!_** (One second!)" Feliciano said as he tried to pull himself off. He pressed his hand on Alfred's back and pushed himself up, but that caused Alfred and Yong Soo to cry in pain because of the pressure.

"No 'uno say-condo'! Right now!" Feliciano decided to just rolled off the blonde's back and on the ground. Then, Alfred pulled himself off of Yong Soo, who breathed in deeply in relief.

" ** _Ou…Huri ga apayo…_** _(_ Ow...My back hurts...)" Yong Soo moaned painfully, still lying flat on the crowd. Both Feliciano and Alfred got up, but only the Korean remained on the ground.

"Alright guys!" They suddenly heard the gruff, Dutch-accented voice of their teacher said. All heads turned towards Mr. Jansen, who had a clipboard underneath one of his arm and was carrying a bag filled with jerseys and soccer balls with his other hand. The class gravitated towards him, standing around him. "Sorry I'm late. I had to find these bags because _someone_ seemed to have placed the bags somewhere where they weren't supposed to be." He specifically glanced towards Alfred, who didn't make any eye contact with him. His eyes glanced down from Alfred towards the ground, where Yong Soo still remained face down, not even bothering to get up.

"What happened to Yong Soo?" He asked, setting the bags down and taking out the pencil that sat on his ear as he looked down to his clipboard, quickly scanning through the attendance.

"Feliciano, the idiot American, and him were chasing a goose while waiting for you," Carlos simply replied. Mr. Jansen raised an eyebrow, looking like he had no idea what to say to this…peculiar news.

"Alfred ended up falling on me and crushing my back…" They heard Yong Soo mumbled from the ground.

"I'm not the only one, dude! Feliciano is also heavy too!"

"Why did you guys even chase a goose to begin with?" Mr. Jansen questioned.

"I wanted to catch it!" Feliciano chimed in.

"…This has to be the oddest class I've ever had," Mr. Jansen muttered under his breath, and started to scan and check through the list of names. Then he said to Yong Soo without looking up, "You do know that they shit on the field sometimes, right?"

"What?!" Yong Soo exclaimed, quickly getting up off the ground and started to check, looking down to see if they had any dropping stains on his shorts and shirt. "That's gross!"

"That's why I said be careful of the field at the beginning of this outdoor unit," Mr. Jansen replied, before switching subjects. "We'll start with the usual laps. Then we'll do the warm-ups. Today we'll be playing football."

"Didn't yesterday he say we were playing soccer today? Why're we playing football again?" Alfred asked Matthew.

"Again?" Feliciano asked confusingly. "No, we didn't play football yet."

"Yeah, we did, brah. Just yesterday."

" That was _American_ foot-ball. Today we're playing just football."

"That's called _soccer_ , dude, not football. Football was what we played yesterday."

"No, it's called football."

"No, it's called soccer."

"Football!"

"Soccer!"

 

"Please don't start an argument over the name of the sport," Matthew whispered. "You make it sound like a big deal."

"But, it's called soccer, dude!" Alfred reasoned. He then called out, "I'll prove it to you, Feli! Yo, dudes! Isn't soccer called soccer?"

"Um, no," Emile said. "It's called football. What are you saying?"

"Yeah, what do you mean it is called soccer, Alfred?" Ludwig asked. The other nodded in agreement. Alfred just stared at them blankly.

"B-But-"

"It's cultural difference, Alfred," Matthew interrupted. "They call it football, while we say soccer. Calm down. It's nothing to get worked up about."

"I'm not getting worked up about it, dude! I was just saying that-"

"What are you guys doing?" Mr. Jansen exclaimed, and they just now noticed that already their classmates were jogging. "Shut your faces and do your laps. Or else I'll make you guys run even more laps!"

"Let's hurry," Alfred said, and they all started to jog. They all went at around the same time, until Alfred and Ludwig started to pick up the pace. Soon, it was just Feliciano, Kiku, Tinos, Yong Soo and Matthew jogging together.

"We can _…*pant*…_ walk _…*pant*…_ now…right?" Feliciano exaggerated after they jogged a few.

"Yeah, you can…unless you want to get yelled up and run extra laps," Matthew panted.

"Is he looking at us?" Yong Soo asked, glancing towards where Mr. Jansen was at. He wasn't exactly looking at them, and was mostly busy checking his phone. Seeing as he wasn't paying much attention, Yong Soo slowed down his pace until he was walking instead.

"Yong Soo, he's going to see you," Kiku said uncertainly.

"Calm down, _Hyung_ ," Yong Soo retorted. "He's not watching us. We'll be fine." The other three started to slow down their pace and walk a bit alongside Yong Soo. Kiku was a bit in front, and hesitated at first before also deciding to walk with them.

"We are so out of shape," Matthew said, taking in deep breaths as he walked. "Or we're just lazy."

"That we are," Feliciano agreed. "…What do you think he's doing?"

"Who? Mr. Jansen?" Tinos asked.

"Who knows," Yong Soo said with a shrug. "I don't care. As long as he's distracted, I'm fine. Why is it mandatory to take gym? Maybe I should switch out of this class."

"You'll still have to take it next year. You need to complete and pass at least one gym class, from what I know," Matthew replied.

"So unnecessary," Yong Soo mumbled. "I'm fine with playing the sports, but the laps are just too much."

"It's good for increasing stamina," Tino said.

"I don't understand how they could go on like this with so much energy," Yong Soo said, waving towards there other classmates.

"You're quite energetic too, Yong Soo."

"He has an unlimited amount of energy," Kiku added. "Where he gets it, I have no idea."

"Well, I can still go on, but I want to be with you guys!" Yong Soo replied. He suddenly glomped Kiku from the side. "Especially you, _Hyung_!"

"Yong Soo, please, get off of me!" Kiku suddenly stuttered, trying to push his cousin off.

"Fine," Yong Soo sighed, letting go of Kiku's waist. "Wait a minute…does any of you guys know where Heracles is?"

"Maybe he's sick," Tinos replied. "I didn't see him in the hallways…"

"Or maybe he skipped! How could he leave us behind?!"

On the sidelines of this scene that was going on, Feliciano and Matthew were silent. Matthew was in the midst of replaying what was going on during lunch with Gilbert, but he couldn't notice how it was quite odd.

Although, it was quite normal for Matthew to remain quiet and listen, and to reminisce about other things, Feliciano would always be in the middle of the conversation, usually chattering away none-stop with Yong Soo. But, now, Matthew noticed how Feliciano seemed even more at dazed than usual... was that even possible with Feliciano? It was normal for Feliciano to have such a look, but this one also seemed like he was in deep thought.

"Feli?" Matthew asked gently. Feliciano didn't take notice right away and continued to looked blankly ahead of him, before Matthew asked, "Feliciano, is something the matter?"

This time, he saw Feliciano blink a few times, like he was gaining conscious, and looked at Matthew. "Hm?"

"Is something wrong? You look like you're thinking deeply."

"Hm?" Feliciano replied. "No, nothing's wrong. Why do you ask?" He said those words so unusually quiet, which made Matthew a bit suspicious.

"Sorry," Matthew said, not wanting to press any more question. "You just look so…out of it. I was just wondering, that's all."

"I see…" Feliciano paused, before he came closer to Matthew and whispered, "Matthew, may I ask you something?"

"Of course," Matthew replied, noting how secretive and nervous Feliciano's voice was. Matthew never heard him talk in such a way, and he especially hasn't heard Feliciano ask him. Matthew noticed how Feliciano's amber eyes were shifting around, and he even started to feel nervous. "What is it?"

"Well…" Feliciano started, before pulling Matthew back a bit. Yong Soo, Tinos, and Kiku didn't seem to have noticed, since they were still walking ahead of them without stopping. "It's not really something that important. I was just thinking something, and wanted to ask someone…but I didn't know how they'd say to the subject…I was about to ask Kiku, but I was having doubts…"

"Okay," Matthew said slowly, wanting him to go on. "What is the subject."

"…" Feliciano hesitated at first, before saying, "Ve! Okay, so, um, what do you think about…love?" _Huh? Love?!_

"U-Um," Matthew stuttered, not certain what to say. "Well…I think that love's a…good… thing?"

"…Do you think that love lasts?"

"H-Huh?" _Why is he asking me this?_

"Do you think," Feliciano started again. "That love lasts?"

"U-Uh-"

"No, let me re-phrase that," Feliciano cut him off, before thinking. He then take in a deep breath, before rambling on, "Okay. Let's just say that, ah, that you loved a certain person and that person loved you back once upon a time. You two loved each other so much, but then, that person had to…leave and you never see them again, even though they promised to come back to you. And, as time passes by, you start to see new people, but you can't ever forget about that certain person. Do you think that…you'll eventually find the one you once loved so much again?"

What Feliciano had just said and asked confused Matthew greatly.

Already he was talking about something personal with Gilbert during lunch, and that was already a heavy weight to carry. Now, Feliciano was asking him that seemed also a bit on the personal. He couldn't have decided to spin a story like that in a heartbeat. This is not what he expected. Feliciano and he wasn't exactly close, so his asking this question was certainly…out of the blue.

But, Feliciano already looked so uncomfortable. As if he never told anyone this. Matthew thought that he should have asked someone closer, or even Kiku, but he shouldn't question this. If Feliciano was asking _him_ , then he's going to have to answer, as much as it confused him as to why.

"Well…" Matthew began, and then paused. He wasn't exactly a master of love and advice, but he may as well try. He read his fair share of novels. "I think that if that person promised and really did love you- and you loved them back just as much- they'll eventually come back to you. The possibilities are slim, but it's very much possible. So, to answer your question…I do think that you'll be able to see them. But, that's as long as you have faith in them...I think" He didn't know whether that sound good or bad, but he knew for one thing that it was the sappiest thing he had ever said. _Ever_. But, Feliciano didn't seem to mind, and seemed content with this response.

"Really? You think so?" Feliciano asked, and his face was suddenly illuminated with the same happiness that he would always have. But, there was something else Matthew saw in his eyes. Hope.

"Yes, really."

"Ve~!" Feliciano said, clasping on to Matthew's hands and bringing in between them. "I was beginning to think otherwise, but what you said actually helped me! Thank you for answering my doubt, Matthew!"

"N-No problem, Feli," Matthew said, smiling kindly at Feliciano.

Matthew then glanced ahead of them, and noticed how already everyone was finished and was about to start warm-ups, while they were still on the track.

"We better hurry," Matthew said, slipping his hand out of Feliciano's grasp. "Or Mr. Jansen will force us to do laps."

" _Sì_! Let's go!" Feliciano said, and started to jog. Matthew jogged along with him. He wanted to ask how what a simple thing he had said helped and erased the doubts the Italian had, but he knew it'd be better not to ask. He already had enough of knowing for today.


	13. That One March Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First Person, Gilbert's flashback. I thought it would be better if we learn Gilbert's inner thoughts to better connect with him. Hopefully that's how you guys would feel (welp).
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy the story so far!^_^ And I hope you all enjoy this chapter~

_I remember every single detail from that day. The night of the crash is a reoccurring nightmare I have, but I think what happened afterwards was far worse for me. It was more than a nightmare; it was hell._

_The first thing I saw when I awaken from the eternal darkness was met by white. The walls, the floor tiles, the bed sheets, the curtains… I was blinded by that one, bland colour that I soon come to dislike and became sicken by._

_There were wires. There were all these wires that were attached to my body and were hooked up to some sort of machine and I was wearing an oxygen mask. I can hear the beeping sounds of the monitor beside the metallic bed I laid in._ Where the hell am I?

_The smell that was lingering in the air was nauseating for me. It smelled like…medicine and chemicals. But, to me, it smelled like…death. I sat up immediately, now knowing that I must have been in the hospital. That would explain the fancy machines. That would also explain the smell._

_But…why was I there? That's when I tried to think into my memory…that's when I suddenly remembered. The sounds of sirens in the background, broken glass, pain all over my entire body, my head ringing and my temple pulsing…_

_The car crash._

_That's when I started to fucking panic. What happened after I was knocked out? How did I black out anyway? Maybe I hit my head on something. But, most importantly…_

_Ludwig. What happened to Ludwig? He was right beside me when all this happened. Was he okay? Did he get hurt? Where was he anyway?_

_I had to get out of there. I needed to find him. I needed to know how he was. I needed to know if he was safe._

_I hastily took off the oxygen mask and got off the bed. Being the rash person I was, I forgot about the wires hooked to the machine, and I lost balance thanks to my footing, so I fell to the ground, taking the machine down along with me and creating a loud noise. I was able to get up off the ground, but maybe the crash was too loud, because suddenly I heard footsteps running towards where I was. The curtains got pulled aside, and I was pretty sure it was a nurse who came._

_"What happened? Are you alright?" The nurse asked worriedly, quickly coming to my side, like I needed help._

_"Where is he?" I asked him, taking a step away._

_"Who?" He asked back, looking at me confused._

_"My brother. Where's my younger brother? What happened to him?" I asked quickly, ready to make a run for it to find Ludwig, but that was before I heard another pair of footsteps coming behind me. I turned around to see who had come. Judging right away from the uniform she was wearing, I knew for a fact that she was a police officer. Which then made me start panicking._

_"What happened here?" The police officer asked when he saw the nurse picking up the medical machine, and me out of the hospital bed._

_What happened next was entirely off of instinct, really. I had learned that the moment I heard or saw a police officer or their car, I better stay the hell away. If ever I was caught by them, I better run as fast as I could to lose them. I ran away from them plenty of time before, never been caught, and it soon became a sudden instinct to run from the near sight of their cars._

_So, when I saw the police officer standing right in front of me, my instincts entirely took over my body and I just ran. I was wearing the hospital gown, and I wasn't wearing any shoes, so I'm pretty sure I looked stupid running down the hallways and passing by other people who were looking at me like I escaped from an asylum. I started to go around different corners, looking through the windows of different rooms that were there, trying to find out where he was._

_The thing was, though, I was not able to out run the police officer or the multitudes the nurses and doctors who followed behind me because of the constant shouts of "Stop!" I felt some sort of pain of breathing and my entire body grew heavy with every step I took. Soon, I was out of breath, and the police officer was able to restrain me, no matter how much I tried to escape or lash out at him._

_"Fuckin' let go of me!" I managed to growl, while kicking the air in front of me. "Goddammit, what the fuck happened?!"_

_"Whoa there, boy," the officer said, still restraining me, whilst another officer came to his side. "Calm down! Help me take him back to his room!"_

_"Where are you taking me now?!"_

_"Will you be quiet for a second?"_

_"Where's my brother? What happened to him?!'_

_"Your brother is fine!"_

_"Then where is he?!"_

_"…You can't see him right now," he answered gruffly, now carrying me down the hall along with the other one. "Right now, we have to take you back into your room-"_

_"Like hell you're going to do that!" I tried trashing around to loosen his grip on me, but I didn't have any strength to break free. I admit to the fact that I was being quite stubborn when we arrived by my room, and it took them I while for them to finally force me through the door and onto my bed._

_After I was a bit more, uh, calmer and they were sure that I wasn't going to try running away, the officer were asking me questions, even though they looked reluctant to do it._

_"Okay, we'll be asking you a few questions. Are you alright with answering them now?"_

_"…"_

_"Well?"_

_"…Yeah." They first asked me all sorts of questions, which I thought were completely irrelevant in my opinion._

_Full name? "Gilbert Beilschmidt."_

_Age? "Thirteen."_

_Date of birth? "January 18th."_

_This inquiry of basic questions did not exactly last that long. They told me that they had already contacted my grandfather hours earlier, and apparently he was able to get himself the quickest ticket to Berlin, Germany, and would be arriving in a few hours. Afterwards, they were telling me a very basic run-through of what had happened the previous night…the night of the car accident. I guess they were hesitant to give any more details, but they gave me all the main points._

_Apparently, the car swerved over to the rail on the highway, and it went rolling down the steep hill that was there. Luckily, by the time paramedics came to the scene, I was still breathing and they sent me to this hospital. But, my parents? They weren't lucky like me._

_The officer who was telling me this looked at me with sympathy, saying it cautiously like I was going to take this in hard. But, to be honest, I didn't know what I felt when he told me this. I didn't feel sad. I didn't feel pain. I didn't feel…anything at all. Is it a bad thing to not feel anything after your parents' death? Is it a bad thing that I didn't feel sad?_

_Maybe it's because of how they treated me…us…ever since I was younger might be the reason why. They hurt us constantly, blaming the situation we were in on us…It's our fault for the way we live…we are the reason why they couldn't find happiness…If we were never born…If I were never born, and then they wouldn't be living a hell life. If anything, my heart cried a bit when I heard my mother was apart of it._

_My parents had me when they were in their last year of secondary school. My mother couldn't complete secondary school, while my father had to start working right away a minimum-wage paying job which didn't help. Why they decided to have Ludwig, I would never know. Not that I'm ungrateful for having him around._

_Maybe my mother liked the idea of having children. But they constantly will tell us that, everyday… I didn't care if they blamed me. I never cared. I stopped caring about their words and how they would physically hurt me. I was sick of how they did what they did, but it sickened me the most how my younger brother would get dragged into this. They can hurt me as much as they want, but they can never, ever hurt him as long as I'm here. I promised him that no matter what, I'll protect him from anything._

_Rarely did Opa visit us. He's my father's father, but he didn't live in Germany. No, he lived in Canada, where he was already working as vice-principal of an international academy. He was caught up with work, but he would send some things. I met him first when I was a toddler. He visited maybe once a year after that, but he stopped when I was around 8. He would sometimes call after that, but I didn't see him again. That was around the time when thinks started to get worse at home. By 11, thinks seemed to get crazier, and that's when I started to get involved with a few older kids, and that how I ended up developing a few…habits._

_Anyway, after the officer told me the news, he was about to leave, but then I asked him, "Where is my brother?"_

_"As I said before, you're brother's alright. He's under some special care, but he'll be fine." Special care?_

_"Why?" I asked._

_"Just wait until they dismiss you and your grandfather arrives." He said, before turning away. And so I waited. I waited and waited and waited. There was a nurse that would come in like every 15 minutes, checking up on me and see if I needed anything. I tried sleeping, but that didn't work. Instead, I was staring outside the window, and observing the different things that were there. Sometimes my head started to hurt, but it would pass by. I think they put me on some pain killer or something._

_Who knows how long times have passed, but I somehow managed to fall asleep, and awakened just in time to hear a few voices discussing something outside my door._

_"He's alright. It's a miracle, actually; he only sustained minor injuries. He can be discharged from the hospital as soon as possible, but you should be cautious about him. This car accident will be rough on him. I understand that…this is also harsh on you."_

_"…So nothing else is wrong with him?" The voice that responded sounded familiar, but I wasn't able to figure out who._

_"No, there's nothing wrong with him. He only sustained minor injuries, and the doctor informed us that it shouldn't affect him at all. It's miraculous that he wasn't severely hurt."_

_"Yes… I'm thankful that he's alright…Is there anything else about him that I should be aware of?"_

_"Well…there is something that should be important to note about him, Mr. Beilschmidt, although it's not associated with the car crash or his injuries. It might be more of a personal thing…"_

_"Such as?"_

_"It was simple observation from his clothing from the previous night, and in his pocket of the sweater he was wearing, we found a packet of…cigarettes?" I held my breath at the uneasy silence that followed. Shit. I completely forgot I had one in my pocket during that night._

_"Are you sure you found it in Gilbert's pocket?" When I heard the voice say my name was when I finally realised who was outside the door. It was my Opa. Double shit. I got out of my bed, and walked up to the door. I leaned my ear against it, and continued to listen._

_"Yes, and there were some already used. It's illegal for minors to hold such items, I must remind you. The boy's situation can go to court, and it can be bigger than that."_

_"I know that already."_

_"…Mr. Beilschmidt, we received an autopsy of the victims who were killed. Their parents. Their father, your son, Klaus Beilschmidt, was under the influence of alcohol while he was driving. His alcohol level was incredibly high. Not only that, but we did some background check on the family…was that a problem?"_

_"No, not at all."_

_"It seems that he has a record of heart problems resulting in the overuse of alcohol. Anemia, to name one. It seems that he was an alcoholic. He is working, however their mother, Ms. Katharina Abendroth, is unemployed. Are you aware of all that?"_

_"…I'm ashamed to admit that I was not aware of that much…I know that their, but I didn't contact them in a while, and I was never exactly there with them all the time."_

_"Hm. Also, you are aware of the area they live in, correct?"_

_"Ja, I've heard it has a bit of gang activity."_

_"Yes. Looking at how they live at home, maybe your grandson is involved in a gang, and could be involved in certain… activities."_

_"…I'll speak with him about this."_

_"That might be the best thing to do."_

_"What about Ludwig?"_

_"The younger one? Well, he hasn't woken up yet. It seems that he received an injury to the head and broke an arm. The blow on his head was a really hard one."_

_"But, he'll be alright, right?"_

_"Actually sir… he's…in a coma state." I held my breathe._

_"A-A coma state?"_

_"Yes. The doctor isn't sure when he'll wake up."_

_"What's the worst case scenario that could happen to him?"_

_"…I rather not say."_

_"I think it will be better if I know what would happen to my grandson in a worst case scenario."_

_"…Already it's hard to say when he'll come to…And in a worst case scenario…he will never wake up."_

_My heart stopped at that moment, and my eyes widened. I couldn't believe what I heard. I wouldn't._

_No. No, no, no. That can't be true. My little brother? Never waking up? That not true. It can't be true._

_"Yeah, right!" I yelled, opening the door, surprising both the officer and my grandpa. I wasn't thinking when I did that, but I couldn't think. Especially after what he said._

_"Gilbert?" Opa said, looking at me with a looked I couldn't decipher. "Were you-"_

_"What you said…you're lying, right?" I asked quickly. "You're lying about the whole coma thing, right? He's lying, right, Opa?" The officer didn't say anything at all, and looked downwards. The air was suddenly tense, and it was getting harder to breathe every second I stood there. I could feel a lump of emotion in my throat, and I was feeling dizzy._

_"Gilbert," Opa started gently, holding my shoulder. I rarely ever heard him talk to me so softly, so I knew at that moment that it was true. "We'll talk about this later. First-"_

_"Where is he?" I managed to ask, my voice cracking. "I want to see him."_

_"Not now-"_

_"I want to see him now!" I said firmly, trying not to sound like I was on the brink of crying. "Please. They even said that I can see him after you came," I begged the final part in a whisper._

_They didn't move for a moment. Just then, the doctor who was constantly checking up on me walked at us, and noticed the three of us._

_"You're Alaric Beilschmidt, correct?" He asked, and then saying, "I came to check up on Gilbert one last time, and to inform you that he can now be discharged from the hospital."_

_"Alright…thank you Miss," Opa replied, and the doctor quickly ushered me into the room. Everything after that was a blur. I didn't pay attention to anything or anyone around me. All I could really think about was Ludwig…the one who I promised to protect no matter what._

_After we went through the forms, we were then led down a long hallway, to a white door. Opa went in first, and then I followed in turn. There was a doctor inside, jotting something down on his notes. He was blocking the bed's view, but when he turned around to chat with my Opa, I saw him._

_He was lying down on the bed, a white sheet covering most of his body. There were wires attached to his body, and multiple monitors here and there. There were some things that were around his neck and he was breathing into a mask._

_I walked up to the bed to take a better look at him. I could feel the same lump of emotion building up, and again it was hard to breathe as I looked at him._

_His right arm was in a white cast, and hung next to him. His blonde hair was tussled, and his eyes were closed. His skin looked a bit paler than usual, and you could see his chest rise up and down slowly, taking in every single breath he could. He looked so fragile, so…innocent. Even if he was one year younger than me, he will always look like a child to me. An innocent child, who did not deserve any of this._

_I was hesitant at first, but I slowly raised my hand and reached to his. His were smaller compared to mine, and more softer, but they were also warm. Like he still has a light inside of him and he was still there._

_"Ludwig?" I asked, desperately wanting him to open his eyes. I didn't get any type of reply._

_"Hey. Ludwig, open your eyes. Hey, c'mon. Don't leave me hanging like this…"_

_"Gilbert," Opa said, standing behind him. "I don't think he can hear you…He's unconscious."_

_"Yes he can! Ludwig can hear me…right, Ludwig?" No reply. I didn't even know why I continued asking Ludwig. Because, as much as I wanted to deny it, I knew that Ludwig was not there. I knew he couldn't hear. I just needed some sort of sign of hope._

_"He's going to wake up, right, Opa?" I asked hopefully, looking at him. He didn't say anything. And that's when I was done. I ran outside the room and closed the door. And for the first time in what seemed to be in forever, I ended up sitting on the floor, with tears rolling down my face._

_All I thought then was how stupid and weak I was. Because of me, he's in a coma and the likelihood of him coming out of it is very slim. Why did it have to be him of all people? I should be the one who's suffering, not him. It should have been me. He didn't do anything wrong. Why him? What's worse is that I promised to him that nothing bad will ever happen to him…and I let that happen._

_I had these thoughts during the weeks to come. I never stopped thinking about it, and every day after that, I would come visit him in the hospital. I wouldn't do anything but sit there and just talk to him. How my day went, what was going on, all that stuff._

_Some days, I would find one of those books Ludwig loved to read so much from his room, and just try reading it to him, even though I knew that he was not awake. I would always read to him when he was having difficulties sleeping at night. To be honest, it was a long time since I did that; I used to read a lot, but I stopped doing that after I've given up on school. I can't remember that last time I even picked up a book and read it until that time. I did it mostly to comfort myself in his presence. I knew he loved to read, so the only way to bring myself closer to him, I read all these books._

_This went on for more than a month. Even though Opa said that I should be attending school, which I always skipped so often, I still went to the hospital. That month was a pretty messy one; especially for Opa…he had to go through all these different things in order to get custody on us. Then, there was the deal with me. He found out what I've been up to when I got an un-expecting visit from one of the guys I hung out with, and had no idea that Opa was there._

_I wanted things to go as it usually did between us. I wanted to hear his voice, the way he would talk to me. I wanted to remember how it was whenever I held him, protecting him whenever he wanted comfort. I wanted to hear him call me "Bruder". I wanted him to wake up. And I wanted to be the first person he saw when he woke up._

_Then it happened._

_One day, I was in the middle of my visit at the hospital. Opa was speaking with someone outside the room, and I was sitting right next to the bed. I remember I was in the middle of reading a tale from this big book filled with fairy tales by the Grimm brothers…He always loved listening to me read them when he was younger, when I was trying to comfort him from our parents…I remember that I was in the middle of reading the story of 'Hansel and Gretel' when it happened._

_My hand sat near his, nearly touching his, and I suddenly felt the slightest brush against my skin. I thought I was hallucinating things, but then I saw his hand twitch once more, then his arm shifted over. I glanced up, and I saw Ludwig's body stirring a bit, if he was waking up._

_His eyes slowly flickered opened, and I could finally see his clear-blue eyes. He stared at the ceiling for a moment, blinking a few times. He stayed like that for a minute, his pupils dilating._

_"Ludwig," I whispered. He heard me, and he attempted to shift his head, glancing to the side, directly at me. I was shocked to see him moving, and it was more shocking when he looked at me. I couldn't help but notice how he was looking at me vacantly, with a hint of confusion, like he just couldn't recognise me. But, it didn't bother me at all. No, at the moment, I was way too happy to even notice his look._

_"Ludwig!" I exclaimed happily, and suddenly, I found myself pulling him into a tight hug, and tears were starting to form in my eyes._

_"I knew it," I muttered, smiling, filled with relief. "I knew you would wake up…" At that moment, Opa walked in with the doctor and a few nurses, curious as to see why I was exclaiming._

_"Gilbert? What's going…" He started, before trailing off when he saw Ludwig. I saw the bewildered look on the doctor's face, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing._

_"Ja!" I said, letting go of Ludwig and tugging on Opa, pulling him to the bedside. "Ja, he's awake! See?"_

_"Ah," he replied, and slowly, his lips curved up to a smile- the last one that he will ever show for the years to come. He was too astonished to even say anything at all. And so was I. I was glad and happy._

_But then…he opened his mouth to say something. And what he said…those words he said to me…I could never, ever forget._

_"Who are you?"_

_Those three simple words changed everything._

_It felt like time was frozen, and everything was still. My heart stopped as I slowly turned to look at Ludwig. He just stared at directly at me blankly; his eyebrows drown together to a frown. He seemed alright, but there was something about the way he looked at me; like he was confused, or even…afraid of me. He looked like he was panicking._

_"H-huh," I whispered dumbly, hoping I didn't think I knew what he meant when he said that._

_"I said…who are you?" He repeated, as if I didn't hear him the first time, frantically. "Where am I? Why are you touching me?"  
_

_"…Hey," I said, moving a bit closer to Ludwig, who shifted away. "What do you mean by that, Ludwig? It's me…Gilbert…"_

_"I don't know you," he said, tilting his head, shaking his head, his eyes darting everywhere. "Who are you?"_

_"…I'm Gilbert. Don't you remember? I'm your Bruder." I could feel myself dying inside; my body felt like it was crumbling._

_"I don't," He asked blandly, still looking genuinely scared. He looked down to his arm that was in a cast. He couldn't move properly, but he tried to look around. "Where am I? Who are you people?"_

_I couldn't take it. I could have just left like I did before, but I didn't want to seem…cowardly. I fought back the tears that were threatening to spill. I didn't want Ludwig seeing me like this. But, it was so hard to hold back._

_"Don't you remember who he is, Ludwig?" Opa asked, and then Ludwig shook his head. "Do you remember me at least? Or you're parents?"_

_"My parents? Who? I've never seen you in my life!" Ludwig looked agitated._

_The doctor decided to pull us outside for a moment, knowing how this might be for us and in order to examine for a bit. The nurses were left to attempt to calm him down. I saw one of the nurse take out a needle, while the other two gently held on to him. I couldn't look. I stared blankly at the white wall that faced in front of us, and I was holding on to the book tightly. I glanced over to Opa, just to see how he was going on with what had happened, but he was glancing down, his head prompted up on his intertwined hands._

_When the doctor was done, he came out and told us the news._

_"We had to sedate him. But don't worry, it's minimal," the doctor explained. "He's just going to be calmer."_

_I was leaning near the door, looking through the small window, to see Ludwig still sitting up, but he was looking out the window._

_"He doesn't seem to remember anything of himself or his past at all. He's been in a coma for quite a long time now, and the trauma that had happened could have been the cause of amnesia."_

_"Is it possible for him to recover and regain his past memories?" Opa asked._

_"Well…it is possible, but it may take a long time. He would have to go through therapy."_

_"…"_

_"I'll let you decide what should be done," he replied when neither of us responded for a while. "If you do decide to try out any treatment, please notify me. I'll allow you to see him for now, but I'll return in about 30 minutes."_

_When he left, neither Opa or me moved. I wanted to go inside and to talk with Ludwig, but I didn't want to feel even more hurt than I already was. The whole idea frightens me, and the simple idea that my brother- the only person I actually loved and cared for during my entire life- didn't remember me made me sick to the stomach. It was the worst feeling I have ever experienced in my life._

_"Gilbert," Opa started, then paused, thinking of something else to say. "I'm going to go inside and maybe talk to Ludwig a bit. If you don't want to, you can stay here-"_

_"I'll be fine," I whispered, my voice cracking a bit. Opa looked at me sceptically, but he didn't stop me when I opened the door and entered._

_"By the way, don't touch him," Opa muttered to me. "We don't want to startle him or anything."_

_Ludwig quickly looked at my direction, and I saw him jolt a bit. His body stiffened, but then he relaxed a bit. I walked up to his bedside, taking a seat in the chair, and Opa followed me there._

_"Hey Ludwig," I started, and he looked at me weirdly._

_"Ludwig?" He interrupted, a frown on his face. "You and him keep calling me that."_

_"Well, um, Ludwig is a …name. Your name, actually," I said, gulping down the lump of emotion that was in my throat. I had to force myself to seem happy, even though I wasn't._

_"My name is Ludwig?" He said questionably. "That sounds like a nice name. But, why do I have that name?"_

_"I don't know. Ask your Grossvater," I said pointing towards Opa. "He was the one who named you."_

_He looked at Opa. At least he knows what the family relations are. "You're my grandpa?"_

_"Why yes, I am. But, just call me Opa, alright?"_

_"O-pa," Ludwig said, pronouncing it slowly. "Okay…Opa…why did you name me that?"_

_"I chose Ludwig after Ludwig Van Beethoven, a famous composer," Opa said, forcing a small smile. "I think you would like reading about him very much." Of course, we both knew how much Ludwig loved to read those types of books._

_"Oh…so is your name Opa?"_

_"No, it's Alaric. Alaric Beilschmidt."_

_"Alaric Beilschmidt?"_

_"Alaric is my first name. Beilschmidt is my last."_

_"What's my last name?."_

_" It's like mine. It's Beilschmidt."_

_"So, my full name is…Ludwig Beilschmidt?"_

_"Yes, it is."_

_"Hm…" Ludwig said, absorbing this information. "Okay…then…who's he again?" He tilted his head at me._

_"Me? Well, I'm your awesome older brother, of course!"_

_"Awesome older brother?" He said, not looking like he was buying it._

_"Ja! My name is Gilbert, but you can just call me Bruder, okay?"_

_"Gilbert? Bruder?"_

_"Mh-hm! See, I'm one year older than you, actually!"_

_"One year older?"_

_"Yeah. I'm thirteen years old!"_

_"Thirteen?...And me?"_

_"Well, you're eleven! But, on October 3rd, you'll turn twelve! My birthday already past. It was on January 18th, actually."_

_"Oh? Really?"_

_"Yep!" By this point, I felt a little better, and soon I was jabbering about the oddest things so our conversation won't end. Suddenly, the doctor returned, and wished to speak with Opa for a few more things, leaving only me and Ludwig alone._

_"What's that in your hand?" He asked, looking at the fairytale book that lay on my lap. He was still s_

_"Oh, this? This is a book of fairy tales by the Grimm brothers! This was your favourite book actually!"_

_"Really?"_

_"Yeah! Do you want me to read one to you?" Ludwig looked hesitant at first, but then nodded. I then bounded of my chair and sat right beside Ludwig on the bed he was tucked in, which took him by surprise._

_"What are you doing?"_

_"I'm going to read to you!"_

_"W-why are you so close?" he said, moving a bit to the side._

_"A-ah," I replied, scooting a bit away, widening the space between us. "I'm sorry. I thought it would be better if you could see the words and pictures, too."_

_"There are pictures?" He asked curiously, leaning over when I opened the book to a random page, to see the colourful drawing that was there._

_"Yeah, there are!"_

_"Hm…Are you going to read the whole thing?" He asked, noticing how thick the book was._

_"Well, there are a lot of stories in this book. I'm sure I won't be able to read all of them, but maybe I can get through at five? Then again, they're really short." I flipped over to the beginning of the book- the index._

_"Okay, which one?" I asked, pointing towards the list of the tales that were listed. He stared at all of them, before pointing towards one._

_"This one," he said, before attempting to read it. "Cinderella?"_

_"That one?" I said, reading the page number before flipping over to the page. I had read it out loud to him already, when he was unconscious, but I may as well read it again. I started reading the story, and I found it a bit amusing how Ludwig looked amazed as I was reading it, like it was the first time he had heard the story. He must have been a bit more comfortable around me, because as I read, he sort of leaned on me, listening…like he would have done._

_Soon, I after I was finished with that one, seeing as I still had time with him, I read him another one: Little Red Riding Hood._

_"Oh, but grandmother," I said, forcing my voice to go a pitch higher so it can sound like a girl's. "What big ears you have!" Then I forced my voice to go deeper, "All the better to hear you with, my child." As I played around with the different pitch of the voices, I could hear Ludwig letting out a small laugh. I grinned when I heard him. I missed hearing him laugh. I didn't hear it for a long time._

_After I was finished, I flipped to the next story._

_"Did you like it?" I asked him, out of curiosity._

_" It was quite a short," he replied. "But, it was nice. But, it's weird…"_

_"How?"_

_"I don't know. I feel like I already heard someone telling me this story…hey. It's…Gilbert, was it?"_

_"Yeah, but you can just call me Bruder."_

_"Bruder," he said slowly. "You're my…older brother, right?"_

_"Yes…"_

_"Well, If you are my older brother…what did we do together?"_

_"Well, we did plenty of things together! We would hang out, and I would sometimes take you out somewhere. We read a lot together, mostly because you really loved it whenever I read to you. We were really close, you know?"_

_"We were?"_

_"Ja, we were," I said, smiling. "Really close. Like, we can tell each other anything close, and you can ask me anything."_

_"Anything?" He thought for a moment, before speaking. "Okay, can I ask you something?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"What is this…place?"_

_"It's…the hospital."_

_"Why am I here?" He said, while also looking at the cast that was still on his arm. "And how'd I get this?" I felt my throat dry slowly, and I couldn't speak for a minute. I wasn't really sure if I should be telling him about the car crash and everything. I know that I shouldn't be lying (I mean, he is my brother), but my gut was telling me not to tell._

_"You just fell asleep," I mumbled quickly, before making up some BS story. "You just fell into a deep sleep and, somehow your arm got broken, which is why you have that caste…" I trailed off, leaving him with just that. He did question me any further, and just stared at me._

_"Hey," he started. "Since we are…so close…can I tell you something? It has to do something when I was…asleep…" I nodded, and he moved closer, as if he was going to say something secretive._

_"I think you won't believe me if I say this, but for some reason, when I was… 'asleep'…I felt a bit…lonely and lost. But, then I heard this voice, and it was saying all these random things…like it was telling me about how it was going and things like that. It was also telling me all these stories…kind of like the ones you were reading! It's weird, now that I think about it, but that voice sounded familiar…and I felt…happy when I heard the voice." He said, and then he smiled bashfully. "I know…it's kind of weird…I don't even know why I'm telling you this. It's not really…much, I guess…But, without it, I don't think I would've have waken up…" I couldn't believe what I was hearing._

_They told me that Ludwig was unconscious. They said that most likely he couldn't hear at all. But, what he told me then and there…it was one of the things that helped me through this problem. It made me feel…this feeling I can't explain. It made me feel nice to know that all that time I was there; I was able to help him._

_"…I'm glad it did," I said, smiling back at him. "Very glad." There was a slight pause between us, and we didn't speak for a moment. Then, Ludwig glanced downwards to my neck, and noticed something._

_"What's that around your neck?" He asked, and I also glanced down. He meant the two necklaces I always wore around my neck; one with that looks similar to the cross –the black cross with the silver metal outlining it- and the one with the black double-headed eagle._

_"What, these?" I said, taking them both off and held it up so he could see it closer. "This one is just a cross. Some sort of way for me to be closer to God; I don't go to church that often, and I'm not ultra religious, but I wear it so it's like I'm being protected. I got this recently."_

_"And the other one?"_

_"It's the Prussian eagle. It's the one on the coat of arms. It's reminds me of our family lineage. They lived in the area of Prussia, you know, before moving to Berlin. It's like keeping my heritage close to me. I got this three years ago." Ludwig looked at both of them with interest, but mostly to the cross._

_"Do you want it?" I asked, showing the cross to him and he looked at me like he was caught._

_"U-Uh," he mumbled. Before he said anything, I put the necklace around his neck and tied it in the back._

_"It looks nice on you," I said, adjusting it before I put back on my other necklace._

_"Y-You don't mind?" he asked._

_"No," I replied with a shrug. "Why would I be? If you want something, I would give it to you."_

_"But why?"_

_"Because I'm your older brother, and you're my younger brother," I replied, but he still looked unsure, like he didn't really trust me. His hand lay on his lap, and I slipped my hand over it. He looked surprised as I held on to it, but he didn't lash out._

_"Okay, just listen for a moment," I said quickly. "As your awesomely awesome older brother, I must make sure that you, as the younger one, is alright and protected and gets whatever you needs. If you need anything or want to tell me anything, you just come to me right away. And, if there is any problem at all you come to me. I'll always be there for you whenever you need me!"_

_"Protect me? From what?"_

_"Anything!" I said. "If anyone is going to hurt you, then I'll protect you from them. And if they did…well, they better not." There was a small silence that fell upon us, and Ludwig looked like he was reflecting over what I just said._

_"But…" Ludwig started quietly, looking down. "But what if you're not there when… when I need you to be there?" He sounded unsure when he asked me this, like he wasn't sure if it was the right thing to ask. I stared at him for a moment, thinking about his question._

_"Well…" I started before stopping hastily. I glanced down at the cross I had just given him, and I started again, "Well…see that cross I just gave you?" Ludwig instinctively glanced down to the black ornament strung around his neck._

_"Think of that as…well…me. As long as you wear it, it can remind you of me, and it can maybe help you out if I'm not there. Think of it as…a charm," I said, hopping that what I was saying made sense._

_"A charm?"_

_"Yeah. Like those good-luck charm. But, this one charm will protect you," I said, adding the last part from the top of my head. But, when I said that, I could this small flicker of something flashing through his eyes- like my response gave him a bit of tranquility. However, he still seemed unsure._

_"You don't look like you believe in me when I say it'll protect you- or, I would protect you."_

_"…I don't know," Ludwig replied with a small shrug, uncertain how to reply. "It just sounds…hard to believe. Like it's not true... I don't really believe you're my older brother either…"_

_"…Then, I'll make you a promise," I said, holding his hand in mine, ignoring his last comment._

_"What's a promise?"_

_"It's like a vow, but it's most important vow, and if you make a promise, you have to keep it," I said. "And I, your awesome older brother, Gilbert, promise that no matter what happens, I'll always be there for you and I'll protect from harm!"_

_I already made this promise to Ludwig. And I couldn't keep it then. But, now, this is my way of mending those broken words. Because this time, I'm going to keep it._

_"So?" I asked, noticing the look on Ludwig's face. "Do you believe me or not?"_

_"…"He thought for a moment, before replying, "You know, this is all so weird. I can't seem to remember you from before, and your face is completely new to me. My head's telling me not to believe in you. But…"_

_"But?"_

_"Something else is telling me to believe in your words…and it's something that makes me think that you are familiar…and it's nice and warm…" He paused for a second._

_"So, I guess, yes…" He said, holding my hand and his mouth turned upwards into a small, warm smile. "I do believe you." And at that moment, I felt like my world just lit up._

_"…Hey…Bru-…Bruder?" He said in a sort of whisper, like he was calling me that for the first time and it was foreign to him._

_"Yeah?" I asked gently._

_"Do you think…" He started, before trailing off, and I can see his face slowly turning a slight pink shade. "Do you think you can keep…reading to me? I really liked it when you were reading to me just now. It makes me feel…happy, for some reason."_

_I smiled, and opened up the book. "Of course," I replied, before proceeding to spend the rest of my time with him that way._

_Thinking about it now, even though it happened just almost two to three years ago, I still have this terrible guilt inside of me that I just can't get rid of. And I can never ever forget those memories I had, and the emotions I felt then and there are still here. Forever etched in my heart. And I still blame myself for what had happened to Ludwig._

_Maybe I should just try to let it go. But, if I did, then I might forget why I made that promise. And I have to keep remembering, just so I can keep. And it's to remind myself that if I did ever break it, then something like this might happen to him again. I don't want anything like that to happen again._

_At that moment, too, I felt like I should try to give it my all when it comes to being an older brother…Be a sort of role model. That maybe I could be better than I was before and start fresh. Become a better person, something Ludwig could look up to._

_But, who am I kidding? I'm still the same as I was before. Nothing has changed. I'm still the same failure. I can't do anything fucking right. I screw up everything and everyone's life. I'm nothing compared to everyone else. I was just a waste of space, of time. I didn't know why I was still living, to be honest._

_All of my first year, I didn't do shit, I just got wasted, just because I knew that no matter how I do in school, I'm still worthless. Might as well do nothing at all, since it won't mean anything._

_All my life, I've been just a speck of dust that people would either want to throw away or ignore. I've been told so many things that, maybe I just started to believe in them. And maybe, that's why I do the things I do._

_Or, at least did._

_Yeah, I was lucky enough to meet a few people who were there…who actually stuck by me…but out of them all, I think there was one to actually put something in my head._

_But damn Matthew, you really do manage to stick things into my head, don't you?_

_Even though I had met you just at the beginning of the year…and we knew each other for around a month… We spent a lot of time together…or at least, for two people who only knew each other for a month. Honestly, it took me a few months until I actually started spending time with Elizabetha, Roderich and Vash._

_I don't know why, but I think I feel better around you than with other people. It's weird I know, but I just can't help but feel that way. Even though you're quite strict, I think you're a really cool person to be with. You're really nice, and fun to be with. And you have this…flare to you that I just can't describe. But I feel the need to be around you just so I can be around that…aura you have._

_Again, I know, that sounds really weird._

_I think that you're really strong, to be honest Matthew. After you told me about how you were coping with the way you're living…it's interesting how you didn't turn out like me. Because, even though you have some own problems that you obviously hate, you still are somehow the person that you are…you're not corrupted like me. And including the fact that you are sort of ignored, it's amazing to me that you're still so strong._

_I can kind of tell that you're like invisible around other people. I've watched what happens around you in the hallways- heck, even in class. Not a lot of people seem to notice you. I remember seeing you through the window one time, and you were with your friends…but it seemed like you were just part of the background. And I can tell that you know this too. But, still, you strive on, and you don't cause any problems by doing stupid things to ignore it._

_Honestly, those people are missing out, because I think that you're such an amazing person to know. And, I think I respect more than I did…And yes, I did respected you before. You –the quiet, reserved kid of the class- were willing to help me out and spend time on a guy like me – a delinquent- which is something I know everyone else would refuse._

_But…just now, on the rooftop…when I said that I wouldn't have some sort of hope if it were someone else telling me what you told me…I was being extremely honest. I wasn't kidding. When you said what you said…I felt a bit of hope for some reason. It was all in the way you said it…and maybe mostly because it's coming from you._

_Others have told me this, but they seem to just give up. And how you replied when I asked you why you suddenly cared…it was smart, yes, but it actually made me stop and think. And the way you looked at me when you said that…it told me that you weren't that type of person to give up on something._

_I'm grateful I shared what I've gone through with someone like you. I'm grateful for that conversation, because even though it was short… it was big. I think it brought our relationship into more friendly terms and it got us…closer. I told others about it, but it was different when I told you. I just had this different feeling while I was telling you._

_I don't think I would have wanted anyone else to be there other than you on that rooftop with me. And, afterwards, I had this feeling inside me…like something good will come out of it… I'm not exactly sure what, but I could just feel like with our relationship…maybe something good can happen for the both of us..._


	14. Home Study Session

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey readers! Another few days, another chapter! Catching up a bit now to what I have now, Matthew is going to show a bit more feelings....but they're not gonna get together just yet (huehue)~
> 
> Thank you so much for all the support through reading, subscribing, giving a kudos and writing a review! I really appreciate the reviews and kudos especially! Even people criticize my work, it helps me work on my writing and gives me the fuel to continue to write!
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this chapter~

_Did he honestly fall asleep?_ Matthew thought to himself, as he leaned his head on top of his hand and stare at the boy seated beside him.

It was the usual math lesson that day; Ms. Khemet by the board, showing multiple examples and explaining the steps of solving these questions; every single student in the room trying to comprehend and understand what was written before them; Matthew being the obedient one and jotting down all these notes; Gilbert not caring until afterwards so he can get Matthew to help him; being assigned to practice the exercises in the book; etc. Yes, this was just another afternoon math class today.

 _What am I going to do with you?_ Matthew thought as he stared at Gilbert, who was completely knocked out cold thanks to the boring instructions they were receiving. Although he did not exactly approve of just ignoring a lesson - especially one that is extremely important-, and he should wake him up, but he couldn't help but let out a small sigh at how he looked. Matthew had to admit, though, Gilbert looked so calm and peaceful -the complete opposite of how he really is- when he's asleep, and when you can actually see his face since his arms are not covering him. He was breathing gently, inhaling and exhaling deeply.

Gilbert's features seemed to be more softened when he's relaxed like that. He kind of looks like a different person to Matthew, actually. He looks much more...younger, Matthew could say. Not to mention he kind of looks...

 _Cute_ , Matthew thought, although it took him quite a long time to admit such a thing. If he calls Gilbert cute, it doesn't necessarily means that Matthew likes likes him...right? It just means that he's commenting on his looks, so he felt no attraction to him what so ever...right?

Then why does he feel his heart starting to race all of the sudden as he starts thinking about him more and more?

 _Must be because of gym. I mean, I did have it moments ago, and we did a lot of running so...that must be the reason_ , Matthew managed to convince himself such a ridiculous though, breathing in and out slowly in order to calm his beating heart.

He wanted to just get back to the lesson, but he soon found himself being attracted to Gilbert, and instead decided to stare at him...even though that might be the creepiest thing to do.

As Matthew continued to stare more and more, he kind of thought how Gilbert looked a bit innocent like that...which is kind of odd, considering he might be the last person to be innocent. But, no, while he's asleep, he looked like he had such a gentle look to him.

 _Poor guy_ , Matthew said to himself, remembering what Gilbert had told him a few days before...about his past. Matthew had a bit of pity for him afterwards. It's not a great thing for people to be surrounded by such an environment...especially since their kids and they grew up with it. He kind of understood it, but just a bit. Matthew can't imagine living in the conditions Gilbert was in. He thinks that wouldn't make it through. Or maybe... he would turn out a bit like Gilbert. Not that it's such a terrible thing, it's just the things he got into is. The thought is scary to Matthew.

"I'm pretty sure that everyone completely understands this lesson...right?" Ms. Khemet concluded, receiving a collection of dead mumbles as a response. "Since we've been working on this for a while...we'll be having a test tomorrow!"

"Miss, how many questions will there be?" Lillian asked softly, her hand raised up.

"I don't know," Ms. Khemet simply replied. "But I know that it will be on what we learned so far, which is the entire unit!"

"We learned so much in this unit though! Can't you give us extra time?"

"Better get studying, then," Ms. Khemet said. "Our class is way behind schedule with the lessons because I keep delaying this test; we were supposed to do it before October, and guess what- we're a few day in October. I'm allowing this period to study more. Do as you wish, but that won't change my decision."

A collection of groans were the response given, and soon Ms. Khemet went back to her desk and busied herself with other work.

 _Great_ , Matthew sighed as he leaned back against the chair, tucking some of his locks behind his ear. If tomorrow's the test, then he's sort of worried that Gilbert might not get the newest lesson right away. Matthew knew that he had to take it slow with him. But, they still haven't cover a few things, and they needed extra clarification. Might as well start teaching him now.

"Hey, Gilbert," Matthew gently said, nudging Gilbert's shoulder to wake him up. "Wake up." The boy let out a small groan, before taking an effort to open one of his eyes and raising his head slowly out of his arms. He then inhaled deeply, then let out a small yawn, signifying that he was, indeed, sleeping the whole entire time.

"Good morning," Matthew said, letting out a small chuckle at his blank expression he wore on his face like he was processing his surroundings. "Did you have a nice nap?"

"Yep," Gilbert replied tiredly, stretching out his arms as a lay back against his chair, rubbing his eyes before blinking a few times in order to adjust to the light. His mouth into a small, forced smirk, "It was great, until I was rudely awakened by somebody."

"Well, sorry," Matthew replied with a hint of sarcasm, leaning closer towards him. "Did you hear anything that Ms. K said?"

"No," Gilbert bluntly responded. "Of course not. Why?"

"Oh, she just said we have a test tomorrow. That's all." It took a moment for Gilbert to let that sink in.

"What?"

"Tomorrow's our last test for the unit, and we're going to move on to our new one next week, basically." Another pause stood.

"What! Why?!" Gilbert exclaimed, not believing what he heard. "Birdie, I still don't understand anything about this shit! What am I supposed to do tomorrow! I can't fail a single test or else I'm going to be completely screwed..."

"C-calm down, now," Matthew replied, surprised by his outburst. "You honestly think I'm going to let you fail? Just take out your notebook and we're going to be going through the notes."

"Yeah, okay!" Gilbert said, taking out his book, seemingly prepared for what was to come. It was a bit intriguing to see him seem a bit more...into learning something. But, nevertheless, Matthew did what he would always do- explain, give multiple examples, help him go through the steps for the exercises-.

And all in the while that Gilbert did what he had to do, Matthew just stared at him. Watching his every movement. Noticing the smallest quirks that he would do. Matthew never noticed this before, but Gilbert would do this thing with his hand where if he was concentrating hard, his hand will something to some quick, yet small, twitching motion...Yes, Matthew is fully aware that this is completely creepy of him to note of. But, he just couldn't draw his eyes away. And when he did, it was only when Gilbert suddenly looked up at him, causing Matthew to quickly glanced down to the page from the textbook.

It soon came the time for the final bell of day to signify that it was the end of the day. By then, students were already ready to make a run out the door and forget about everything they learnt at school, Matthew and Gilbert were still sitting at their place, taking up the time in order to help them.

"They're so weird, aren't they?" Matthew heard one of the students say to another. When Matthew glanced around towards the area of the classroom where majority of the class were waiting to be released, he noticed a group of friends who were staring at them. What are they staring at?

"Who?" Asked the only boy of the group towards a girl with red hair.

"Who else?" The girl replied, tilting her head towards Matthew and Gilbert.

"Why'd you call them weird?" Another girl jumped into the conversation.

"It's not that it's weird...okay, maybe it is kind of weird...They are just...kind of a weird pair?" The other girl replied. "You don't expect it, I guess."

"I'll say," The boy said."You don't expect Matthew to be with a guy like...you know...him...Too quiet, you know? Barely even noticeable."

"Yeah, but those two spent a lot of time together, apparently. They're kind of cute together, don't ya think?"

Wait, what?

"Yeah, sort of," the other girl responded. "Although, it's still kind of weird."

"Not as much as seeing Lillian and Natalia."

"But, I don't think that either one of them is a delinquent like Gilbert."

Before Matthew could hear anything else, the bell shrilled through the speakers, and the door was swung wide open as the students quickly shot out the door.

The classroom was empty in only 5 seconds, and all those who were left was Matthew, Gilbert, and Ms. Khemet.

"Oh man...it's the end of the day already?" Gilbert commented, as he looked at the bare room.

"Yes...finally too!" Matthew replied, as he started to place his textbook inside his bag. His cell phone suddenly buzzed in his pocket, and he took it out to find a text message from the usual.

 **Alfred:** _Hey dude, I think you have to take the bus by yourself today_

Matthew frowned at the text, before typing back.

 **Matthew:** _Why?_

 **Alfred:** _I'm just going to the library with Kiku and Feli to get some books for Science. We might be there for a while. You can come too if you want to, but I don't know if you want to come with me to Dad's house or just go to Papa's_

 **Matthew:** No can do. I have a test tomorrow. I was also planning on going to Papa's...why don't we both just go to Papa's for once? It's been a while since he saw you...

**Alfred:** _Idk man. Dad's expecting to see me home when he gets back, I don't think he'll be too happy to know I am going to stay at Papa's...I'll come tomorrow, but not today._

**Matthew:** _Well okay. I'll take the bus alone then. Text you later, maybe?_

 **Alfred:** _Yeah, later Mattie :)_

 _Oh man, Alfred_ , Matthew thought disappointingly. He really hated going anywhere alone, to be honest. He's fine with doing it, but he just has prefers to go with someone else -more specifically Alfred- because he just find it more...safer and comfortable.

"Alright, boys, please hurry up," Ms. Khemet said as she leaned against the doorway. "I have to lock the door."

 Matthew immediately got up and headed towards the front of the classroom, leaving Gilbert behind.

"Yeah Ms. K," Gilbert replied, as he started to pack some of his work into his bag. "Hey, Birdie! Wait for me!"

"Do I have to?" Matthew said in a dull tone, although he was only teasing when he said that. He stood at the doorway, alongside Ms. Khemet.

"You two seems to be getting along quite well. More than I expected," Ms. Khemet said to Matthew as they both waited for the boy.

"Yeah, that's true." Matthew replied, glancing towards Gilbert as he did what he was doing.

"How is teaching him going for you? He's not any trouble to you, is he?"

"It's going well," Matthew said. "No, not at all."

"I would have been glad to help him out. But he doesn't seem to pay attention to teachers. I though it'd be better if he worked with another student. And by looking at his past work, he's seeming to do so much better than last year. Better marks."

"Yes, but I think that he can do better..." Matthew said in a sort of whisper tone, like he was saying it more to himself than to the teacher.

"That's true," Ms. Khemet said with a small smile. "Everyone has potential to excel. He can too. But, it's a good start."

"...Miss, you had Gilbert in your class last year, right?"

"Yes, I did. Why?"

"Oh...nothing," Matthew quickly said, not wanting to ask her his question. He wanted to ask about how Gilbert was when he was in her class the previous year, but refrained from asking, knowing that it was rude and nosy of him to ask.

"...He isn't a bad student," Ms. Khemet said, filling in the empty silence between them. "Although he does...cause some trouble...it doesn't necessarily make a bad person. He just...doesn't get the motivation needed."

"Yeah...I know..."

"Thank you, Matthew."

"For what, Miss?" Matthew asked, a bit confused.

"Well, I guess I kind of forced the task of helping Gilbert to you," she said, letting out a small chuckle. "How troublesome of me to do."

"It wasn't a burden at all! And you didn't force me...I was completely fine with it."

"You know, Matthew, I honestly though that it wouldn't work but...you two are obviously proving me wrong. Things are running well. Your grades aren't staggering, so that's good too. Keep up the excellent work."

"Okay," Gilbert said as he pushed his chair into his desk, and made his way towards the door. "Let's go Birdie. Bye Miss!"

"Bye Ms. Khemet," Matthew also said as both he and Gilbert walked outside the door.

"Bye you two," Ms. Khemet replied, locking the door before walking down the hallway whilst holding a packet of work in her arm and a bag slung over her shoulder. Matthew and Gilbert went the opposite way, towards the direction of Matthew's locker.

"The hallways are so empty," Matthew commented at the deserted Business wing they were in, as he unlocked his locker and picked up his Business textbook. "What time is it again?"

"It is," Gilbert started, taking out his phone. "Only 3:30."

"And already people left."

"Well, yeah, no one wants to stay at school Birdie. Got to get out the first second you've got one."

"Mhm. Do you have to go pick something up from your locker or...?"

"No. I literally have nothing in there, Birdie."

"...I always wondered, where is your locker? I've never been there."

"I've got German as my first class of the day, so it's on the second floor, where the Language wing is."

"Really? I have French in that wing, but I have never seen you there."

"Well, I go to the change room right when the bell rings. I'm not going to stay behind and wait." There was a slight pause amongst them as Matthew finished taking and placing what he had to take/put inside, before Gilbert continued their conversation by bringing up a different issue.

"Hey, shouldn't you hurry up?" Gilbert asked, with a small teasing smirk. "Wouldn't want to keep your brother waiting and worrying about you, now would we?"

"Ha," Matthew let out a small laugh, before replying, "Yeah, we sure wouldn't want to do that. But, today, I'll be taking the bus alone. So I can take as long as I want."

"Really? What happened to that kid?"

"Alfred went to the library with a few of our friends," Matthew replied, closing his locker as the two started venturing down the silent hall.

"Why don't you join him, then?"

"I don't want to. I just want to go straight home," Matthew said with a shrug. "I have to study for that test too."

"I don't think you need to study at all Birdie," Gilbert retorted. "You'll still be passing whether you do the work or not. That's how smart you are. You need no help at all to understand all this shit at school.

"Aw, thanks," Matthew said to the compliment. "But, even if I am 'smart', I still need to study. And sometimes I need help too."

"Yeah, well, I think the only person who really needs help with it is me."

"What, do you still not understand what we're doing?"

"...I kind of do, but I kind of don't..."Gilbert said reluctantly, as if not wanting to admit this to him.

"...You know," Matthew started, a bit slowly. "I can stay behind and help you with it."

"...what happened to going directly home?"

"Ah, well, I might as well, right?" Matthew said, with a small smile. "Besides, I just can't let you take the test without knowing what's happening and fail, can I? Well, I can, but..."

"But..."

"I'm nice, so I'll help you out," Matthew said jokingly.

"That is completely self-proclaimed," Gilbert replied back in a teasing way. "You? Nice? Please, Birdie. Don't be so full of yourself with such false thoughts of thinking that you're all that."

"You're right...that's your job."

"Ouch!," Gilbert said in a fake hurt tone, holding his hand over his heart. "You're so harsh to me, Birdie! Why do you to be that way only to me?" Matthew just had to laugh at his false pain.

"Not only are you harsh, but you have so much attitude, too," Gilbert continued.

"Like you don't have any," Matthew replied back.

"Naw, I have a different attitude. You just have that sassy attitude."

"I'm barely sassy," Matthew said with an eye-roll.

"Oh, and rolling your eyes isn't sassy at all?" Gilbert said, pointing out hos obvious action. Matthew just shook his head, as the reached the bottom of the staircase.

"Anyway," Matthew started. "Do you want some more help with math, or...?"

"Help will be gladly accepted, Birdie. Especially at this time."

"Great," Matthew said, turning one his heels to face directly at Gilbert. "So...where do you want to go?"

"Huh?"

"Well, we need a nice place to study at. We could always stay in the school and maybe study at the library or in the corridors or on the roof..."

"No," Gilbert replied. "I can't stay in this place any longer today, Birdie...Oh, I know! What about we just go to your place."

"What?" Matthew said, not knowing if Gilbert meant it or was just saying random stuff.

"That might not be a bad idea," Gilbert said to himself. "It'd be cool to see what kind of house you live in..."

"Er, I'm going to stay at my Papa's place tonight...It's pretty far...I don't know if you'd want to take the bus for, like, 30 minutes."

"That's not that far." Gilbert said with a shrug. "I live pretty far too."

"But, my Papa will be there too..."

"So?" Gilbert said. "It'd be cool to meet him...unless, you know, he has an issue with you bringing people home. Then, I'd be fine to not go...or do you just not me to go?"

"It's not like he hates it whenever I bring people over," Matthew said. "I don't mind either. I was just thinking...that he has work tonight, so I'm worried that we might make too much noise and wake him up..."

"What noise can we make while we're studying for something like math?" Gilbert exaggerated.

"Well...okay...since you want to," Matthew said reluctantly. He didn't have any issue at all with Gilbert coming over. It was just that...it was a bit odd for him to have someone from his school coming in. Especially since he doesn't know what his Papa does at home...what if he was drinking like he did? What if he was completely drunk? Matthew doesn't know exactly when he does his antics.

"Great!" Gilbert replied. "Let's go!" Matthew simply nodded as the two made their way out the school grounds into the streets. Matthew saw a few students screwing around on the sidelines, and most of them were just going to the mall to also loiter around.

"So, which bus to we have to take?" Gilbert asked, glancing around the area.

"We have to take..." Matthew pointed across the road. "That one. We're going to go this direction. I live all the way down there."

"No way," Gilbert said a small laugh. "You take this bus too?"

"What, do you live down there?" Matthew asked, a bit surprised.

"Well, yeah," Gilbert said. "Uh...do you know that big park down there? The one with this big forest and trail that leads to a pond? There's a bridge around there, and the train usually goes underneath that bridge. What's it called...Oh! I think it's called North-West Park or something like that."

"Yeah," Matthew replied. "It's just nearby my house."

"No way Birdie!" Gilbert replied with a laugh. "I live in a neighbourhood nearby that place! It's like, further down the road, but it's the closest park to my house! I usually go there."

"I always go with my brother," Matthew said. "Funny I've never seen you there before."

"Well, I sometimes go there when it's really late and nobody's there," Gilbert said with a grin. "But, I never knew you lived nearby! Maybe we can just meet up there sometimes for the hell of it."

"And do what?" Gilbert shrugged.

"Just hang out."

"Would you really want to hang out with me?"

"Sure. Why the hell not?"

"I'm not the first person to come up to mind if you wanted to hang out with anyone." Which was completely true in Matthew's case. He...never did have any friends to hang out with. He only mostly stuck with Alfred, and only left with him, and only him. He got used to having Alfred's presence with him whenever he went outside. So, it was kind of odd for Matthew that he wasn't here. Not that it mattered now. He had Gilbert, so that fine.

"Don't hang out with people much?" Gilbert asked.

"Not really. I just stick with my brother."

"And when he's not with you? Like, on the weekends or something?"

"Then," Matthew started slowly. "I just stay home."

"And do nothing?"

"Yeah, kind of."

"Hm," Gilbert muttered. "You know, if you have nothing to do at home, we can go somewhere."

"And where exactly?"

"I don't know," Gilbert said. "Anywhere you want to. I don't care. I just want to hang out with you sometimes."

"Why?" Matthew muttered to himself, but Gilbert heard.

"Why? Because I want to~" Gilbert said in an attempt of a cutesy tone, making Matthew giggle to himself.

"Oh hey!" Gilbert exclaimed, pointing down the road. "There's the bus! Let's hurry hope, Birdie!" Gilbert said, while grabbing on to Matthew's arm and pulling him forward.

"A-ah!" Matthew exclaimed at the sudden contact. "H-hold on!"

After making a quick dash across the road to the other side where the bus stop was, the duo were able to catch the bus before it could pass by. During the entire trip down the road, Gilbert and Matthew were talking about the oddest things to keep them occupied, and so that there weren't any odd silence between them.

They finally reached the stop, and they both got off, then walked straight into Matthew's quiet neighbourhood.

"Huh," Gilbert said to himself as he looked at all the house. "So this is where your house is! Quiet area, isn't it? Nice houses, thought"

"It's always quiet here," Matthew said. "Not a lot of kids live around here."

"Complete opposite where I live," Gilbert commented, before there was a buzzing in his pocket. He fished out his cell phone and answered.

"'Ello?" He said, and Matthew heard sound coming over the line, but they were inaudible. After a moment, Gilbert let out a small laugh, before replying in German, "Ja, West, I'm going to come home late today...why? I'm just out...with whom? With Matthew." Matthew stared blankly at him, wondering why he was using his name.

"Tell Oppa that," Gilbert continued, with a bit of a sharp tone. "I'm just chilling with him. I won't be out too late...okay, okay! Bye." Gilbert immediately cut the line on whomever he was talking to.

"That was Ludwig," Gilbert told him, shoving his cell into his pocket.

"What did he say?" Matthew asked, before thinking that that must have been extremely nosy of him. Although, Gilbert didn't seem to care.

"He just wanted to know when I was coming back," Gilbert said with a small annoyed groan. "I'm in a bit of trouble with my grandpa, so I got to get my ass back home before the sun goes down."

"What did you do to get in trouble?" Matthew asked, and saw Gilbert suddenly sounding serious and had a straight face

"I kind of got into a fight with him last night...again." Gilbert said, and you could hear a small hint of disappointment in his voice. Matthew didn't know how to answer to that, so he didn't reply right away, until he spotted his house wedged between the others.

"There it is," Matthew said while pointing in front of him. "I live right there."

They continued to venture down the road till they reached Matthew's front door. Matthew slowly unlocked the door, and silently shut it behind him, not wanting to make any noise.

"Damn, Birdie," Gilbert noted, while taking off his shoes at the front area. "Nice place you've got here!"

"It's not that grand," Matthew said in a more hushed tone as he did the same.

"I don't know, but it has this nice...cozy feeling, you know?" Gilbert said, before venturing down the hallway leading to the living room.

"Well, you may as well make yourself comfortable," Matthew replied, placing his set of keys on the counter top, before following behind Gilbert into the living room, where he found the albino already making use of the sofa by lying right on top of it.

"I already see you have made yourself at home," Matthew commented, dropping his bag right on top of Gilbert, receiving a soft gasping sound from Gilbert at the sudden weight.

"Ugh!" he groaned, pushing his bag off of him. "What the fuck do you carry in here, Matthew?!"

"Just my books," Matthew simply replied, walking into the kitchen. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"Like what?" Gilbert asked, sitting up straight and peering through the entrance of the kitchen.

"Tea?" Matthew started, as he filled a kettle with water and set it on top of the stove. "Coffee?"

"Ehh," Gilbert replied. "Do you have any soda?"

"Yeah," Matthew replied, walking up to the fridge and took out a can of pop out and tossed it towards Gilbert.

"Op!" He said, quickly catching it. "Danke."

" **Bienvenue** <You're welcome>," Matthew replied back in French in turn of Gilbert replying in German.

"What?" Gilbert said, not understanding this simple gesture in French.

"You're welcome," Matthew said, as he walked out of the kitchen to the living room, seating himself on the couch beside Gilbert. 

"Is it...French?" Gilbert asked, raising an eyebrow inquiringly.

"Yep," Matthew replied, pulling his knees to his chest. "But it's how people in Quebec say it. It's actually supposed to mean 'Welcome', but they use it to say 'no problem' or 'you're welcome'. In France it's usually 'De rien'."

Gilbert then turned around to face across the sofa where Matthew sat, and crossed his legs a bit.

"You have that accent that they have, Birdie...I'm guessing you're fluent in the language."

"Yeah. I've been speaking the language since I was little. My Papa is from France, and he speaks the language a lot with us, so I started to talk to him with it."

"...How do you say it again?"

"Do it the standard French; **De rien** ," Matthew repeated, using a thick accent.

" **De rien**?" Gilbert said, having a bit of an odd accent when he said it, having a more sharper edge. "Does that sound right?"

"Yeah," Matthew said, smiling at how he said the word. "You sound good! You have the sound they use for the 'r'."

"Hmm," Gilbert hummed, looking like he was thinking. "How do you say...Thank you? In French."

" **Merci**."

"Merci," Gilbert repeated, again having a bit of an accent. He glanced down his can of soda and looked back up to Matthew while pointing to the can. "Merci for the soda, Birdie."

"You would say, ' **Merci pour le soda** '." Matthew said.

"Merci pouur le soda," Gilbert repeated, opening the can, before he could he a creaking sound coming from the staircase, then slow footsteps walking down the hallway. From where Matthew was sitting, he could see his Papa slowly walked up towards the living room, peering through the entrance to see who it was.

"Mathieu?" Francis asked, glancing up to Matthew, then down do Gilbert, with a questionable look. Upon hearing his voice, Gilbert quickly turned around, and they both made eye contact with one another.

"U-uh," Matthew started, breaking that odd silence amongst them. "Papa...this is, um, my friend...Gilbert."

"Hello, sir," Gilbert said, and Matthew couldn't help but found that awkward.

"A-ah," Francis started, before recognising the name. He then had a knowing smile on his face while continuing, "Nice to meet you Gilbert." Francis then glanced down at what he was wearing, before looking at Matthew.

" **Uh, je vais aller changer a quelque chose d'autre. J'ai du travaille ce soir et...je vais vous laisser seule maintenant...Je m'excuse d'interromper toi et ton...'amie'...**  ( _Uh,_ _I'm going to go change into something else. I have work tonight and...I'm just going to leave you guys alone now...Sorry for interrupting you and your...'friend'...)_ " The way Francis was looking at the two of them and the way he said those words made it feel like he was getting some sort of wrong idea in his head.

Upon realising what that idea might have been, Matthew felt heat starting to rise to his face, and he was going to say something in protest, but Francis decided to turn around and go back upstairs to change.

"That's your other dad?" Gilbert asked, a bit hesitantly.

"Yes...why?" Matthew asked, intrigued by the confused look on his face.

"No way! He looks... I actually thought that he was an older brother at first," Gilbert said, with a small chuckle. "If you didn't call him dad, then I wouldn't have known. "

"Really?" Matthew asked, tucking some strands of his hair behind his ear.

"Yeah. He looks young. You guys look so much alike, too. "

"A lot of people say that."

"Yeah. I guess it's because you both have wavy hair...and maybe eyes, but yours are purple. But...you two aren't blood-related though...right?"

"N-No, Matthew said, feeling a bit awkward about the question. It's not one you would be asked everyday. "Not a bit. It's just coincidence that I look similar to him."

"Yeah. But, that's pretty cool, Birdie," Gilbert said, flashing his signature grin. "What did he say just now?"

"Oh, uh, he just said that he had work tonight so he'll get ready upstairs..." Matthew said, not mentioning how he said he'd leave those two...alone...and saying sorry for interrupting them...like he was getting the impression that those two had a...thing going on between them. Which is a completely ridiculous idea in Matthew's opinion.

Matthew? Have a thing for Gilbert? Ha! Yeah right. What a hilarious joke!

"Ohh," Gilbert said, nodding. "Right...he works at that bar place..."

"Yeah," Matthew replied, before leaning down to his bag and took out his notebook. "Yes, so, uh, what did you need help with in Math?"

"What, are we just going to jump into it already?" Gilbert asked, taking a sip from the can he held in his hand.

"Well, yeah. The test is tomorrow, and, if I remember correctly, you're supposed to get home before sunset," Matthew said, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Yeah, Birdie," Gilbert said in a bit of a whine. "But we can have a bit of time just to chill. Then we can get to studying."

"Or, how about we just get through all your doubts first, then we can just hang around for a bit. Might as well do what you have to do first then keeping it for later."

"...Geez, Birdie," Gilbert huffed. "You're just like Ludwig. So...responsible and orderly and organised. It's so annoying."

"It's more like it's a good habit to be like that. It is useful if you are responsible and orderly and organised," Matthew replied back, trying not to sound mad from that comment about how it was annoying. He let out a small, frustrated sigh. "Now, what do you not understand in this unit."

Now it was Gilbert's turn to let out a frustrated sigh, knowing that what Matthew had just said was set and done. There was no point in arguing. He leaned down to get the textbook from Matthew's bag (he barely brings any of his textbooks around with him), and started to flip through the pages.

"Okay," Gilbert started, shuffling himself closer to Matthew to show him the pages. "I understand all of the basic shit, but I don't know what to apply when they ask you questions like these." Matthew took the textbook and turned it over so he can actually read the words on the page, while laying it on his lap.

"Which ones?" Matthew asked, glancing over at Gilbert to point them out.

When he asked this questions, Gilbert immediately moved closer to the blonde, to the point that they were sitting right next to each other and there was literally no distance between their legs. This may be the closest they ever gotten to each other -distance wise-. Gilbert leg lightly brushed against Matthew's, causing Matthew to feel this odd sensation in his stomach, and his heart started to slowly pick up it's pace. He couldn't but suddenly feel awkward all of the sudden. And it didn't help that Gilbert was leaning up against him to point out the questions.

"I get this shit," Gilbert said, pointing out one section, before going to the next. "I don't all of these, though."

"U-uh-huh," Matthew managed to say, before gulping. Gilbert was still sitting up against him. He was expecting him to move away a bit, but the older one didn't move.

Matthew wanted him to move a bit, but something else is telling him to let him be, that this is an extremely enjoyable thing and should be taken advantage of and not brushed away. Matthew decided to ignore the foreign sensation that lingered, and instead try concentrating on the question. But, Matthew found himself not being able to concentrate at all.

"Uh," Matthew started, clearing his throat a bit. "Do you want to move to the table in the kitchen? It'd be better there than sitting here..." If they did that, they can just sit across from each other, and there will have no contact between them.

"Naw," Gilbert said. "It's all right. I prefer sitting here."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive Birdie."

 _Dammit_ , Matthew thought as he forced a small smile and returned his attention to the page. He managed to actually process the information on the page, and he proceeded to explain to Gilbert what to do, all in the while of trying to make as much minimal eye contact as he can, since he noticed that Gilbert was staring at him more than the paper where he wrote down the step-by-step procedure.

"Do you get it?" Matthew asked Gilbert, tapping the tip of the pencil he held onto the paper. Gilbert loomed at the page for a minute before replying.

"Wait...that's literally all you have to do for all of these types of questions?"

"Yep," Matthew replied, before flipping the page to the exercises. "Here...do these. They're literally the same one I just showed you." Gilbert read the question once. Then he blinked twice.

"Uhh," he mumbled, taking the textbook so it can also be on his lap and he took a page from the notebook. "Can I use your pencil?"

"I don't know," Matthew said teasingly. "Can you?"

"Honestly Birdie?" Gilbert said with a small laugh. "May I use your pencil, Matthew?"

"Here," Matthew said as he showed it to him to take. Gilbert took it, and their hands slightly brushed off each other in a gentle manner. Matthew sort of froze, but Gilbert proceeded to do what he was supposed to do.

Matthew gulped a bit, once again feeling a sensation run through him. He couldn't help but gaze at Gilbert from the corner of his eyes. They were so close to each other. What was that scent Matthew smelled? It smells like cologne...Matthew realised it must have been Gilbert's cologne...Damn...he didn't smell this kind before...It was completely new but... Matthew found himself wanting more of it. He smells so nice~ Matthew thought, wanting to lean in to him, but he was able to catch himself before he moved.

No, Matthew! Stop thinking this way! Matthew thought to himself, and continued to scold himself. He narrowly glanced at Gilbert to see what step he was at, but instead found himself more attracted to Hilbert than the work he was doing.

The look in his eyes. The way that his eyebrows were furrowed in sheer concentration. The way his finger did that small twitching. The small foot-tapping he was doing. The way his cologne smells. The way he slightly bit his bottom lips.

The sound of the kettle whistling suddenly interrupted Matthew's daze, and he realised that he had left the water to boil to make himself some tea. Grateful (or, as much as he would like to deny it, disappointed) that the kettle was calling him away from the couch, he got off the couch and into the kitchen.

"Gilbert," Matthew called in the middle of making his cup of tea. "Do you want anything or..."

"Hmm?" Gilbert hummed, sounding like he wasn't paying much attention to him. "No, it's fine."

Just as Matthew replied with an okay, he heard footsteps making their way towards the kitchen. Francis glanced over at Gilbert, who was still writing down his work, then peered through the kitchen's entrance to look at Matthew.

" **Qu'est-ce qu'il fait?** (What is he doing?)" Francis asked as he walked in, taking an apple and went to the sink to run it under the tap.

"Math," Matthew replied, noticing his Papa was in his uniform. " **Pourquoi t'as deja t'habille, Papa?** (Why are you already dressed, Papa?)"

" **Une des travailleurs vennais pas aujourd'hui. Ils m'ont donne son quart du travaille ce soir,** (One of the workers isn't coming today. They gave me her shift tonight.)" Francis replied, before taking a bite out of the apple.

"Ohh, Matthew mumbled. "...Do you want some coffee?"

Francis smiled at Matthew. "Yes, please. That would be lovely."

As Matthew proceeded to make his father a cup of coffee, Francis made his way to the living room. He sat on a small couch that laid against the wall on the side of where Gilbert was. There was a small silence that befell them for a moment.

"So," Francis started off by saying, drawing Gilbert's attention. "You're Gilbert...right?"

"Yes..." Gilbert said a bit slowly, as if unsure of how this will end up as. "Yes...sir..."

"You don't need to call me 'sir'," Francis said with a amused expression on his face. "Just call me by my name...Francis."

"Oh, okay, uh...Francis..." Francis laughed a bit at how unsure Gilbert sounded.

"You sound like you are afraid of me," Francis commented. "Do I look scary to you?"

"No, no, not at...all," Gilbert said. "Barely."

"Hm," Francis started. "I overheard you said you thought I was Matthew's brother." Gilbert let out a small, nervous laugh.

"Haha, yeah..." Gilbert replied. "That's what I thought at first."

"Mh-hm," Francis said with a smile. "I'll take your comment as a compliment."

There was a slight pause.

"So, tell me Gilbert," Francis said. "How did you come to meet my Matthew?"

"He's from my Math class," Matthew barged into the conversation as he brought his cup of coffee.

"Ohh," Francis said, as if he had just heard about this. "Really?"

"Ja," Gilbert added in. "We sit beside each other in class."

"That's...interesting," Francis said as he took a sip from the cup, giving Matthew this look.

"Papa-" Matthew wanted to tell his father right then and there that he was not his boyfriend (in French of course...he doesn't want Gilbert know), but Francis interrupted him.

"Cheri?" Francis interrupted. "I couldn't seem to find my set of keys anywhere...do you might know where it is?"

"U-uh, no, but I can give you mine if you want," Matthew said. "Hold on one second." Matthew exited the living room, leaving Francis and Gilbert alone.

"How did you get to know Matthew, Gilbert?" Francis asked Gilbert curiously.

"Uh, I wasn't doing so good in Math, so he ended up being sort of like my tutor for Math. But, we started hanging out a bit and... that's really how it happened."

"Gilbert, what year are you in?"

"U-uh," Gilbert stammered, flustered by the question. "Second year." He was ready to see a look of disapproval on Francis' face, but, much to Gilbert's surprise, he seemed indifferent to this.

"Ah. So you're about 15 yes?" Francis said. "It is just out of curiosity. You look quite old to be hanging out with Matthew so I assumed older. How is Matthew at school?"

"What do you mean by that, sir-"

"Nope," Francis said. "It's Francis, remember?"

"Francis..." Gilbert repeated.

"Right," Francis said cheerfully. "Well, what I mean by that is, well...Matthew isn't exactly the social type. It's rough for someone like him to be surrounded by a lot of people. He didn't talk to anyone when he was younger...didn't attempt to make any friends either."

"Well, he does have other people that he hangs out with."

"Yes, but, you're the only one he ever mentioned to me." A light pink blush started to form on Gilbert's face, and he seemingly didn't know how to respond at first.

"A-ah, well..." Gilbert started, before stopping.

"You two aren't dating, right?"

"W-what!? No-"

"You know," Francis interrupted, before drinking some more coffee. "I don't mind at all. You have my permission to if you want to."

"Ah, but I don't go that way-"

"Well, that's an obvious lie," Francis said, raising an eyebrow.

"...how can you even tell?"

"Intuition," he replied simply. "Nothing wrong with being that...is there?"

"No...just..." Gilbert stopped his sentence, seeming like he had something on his mind.

"You're quite an interesting young boy," Francis commented. "A nice one, too."

"Me? Nice?"

"Why do you sound surprised?"

"Uh, not everyone says that about me. Especially people who just met me."

"Really? You seem like a nice one. That's good, especially for Matthew. He needs someone kind."

"Papa?" They heard Matthew said as he walked into the living room. He held up a set of keys. "Here. I found yours."

"Ah, thank you Matthew," Francis said, setting his cup on the coffee table, then getting off the couch to take the keys. "It's going to take me a while to get there, so I'll be leaving now. You'll be fine, right?"

"Of course," Matthew replied, with a small smile.

"Then I'll be back by 3." Francis leaned over to plant a quick kiss on Matthew's cheek, before turning to Gilbert. "It was nice meeting you Gilbert."

"Same here...Francis." Francis did a slight nod, before making his way to the front. They both heard the door open, then closed. A small silence ensued, before Matthew sat on the couch, keeping a small distance away from him.

"Were you two talking?" Matthew asked, glancing over at Gilbert's work.

"Yeah," Gilbert said.

"About what?"

"...Nothing, really. He just asked what grade I was in and other small talk." Gilbert said. There was a slight pause, before he said, "I think he's a cool guy."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Gilbert said with a grin. "Kind of hard to believe that he...you know..."

"Is an alcoholic?"

"...yeah...but, he's a nice person."

"I know," Matthew said. "He's a really nice person. Especially when he's...not drunk, like he would be."

They didn't speak for a moment, and an eerie silence crept in.

"Are you finished?" Matthew asked, pointing out to his notebook.

"Yes," Gilbert said, tossing the notebook gently to his lap. "Here. Check it over for me...please."

"Okay," Matthew said, looking through his work and comparing the answers.

"Well," Matthew mumbled to himself.

"What?" Gilbert asked as he leaned in towards him.

"You got them all right," Matthew said, passing back the notebook.

"Seriously?" Gilbert said. "I thought that I did some of them wrong."

"And why'd you think that? You knew the steps and stuff."

"Yeah, but I'm not the smartest person there is... I'm not capable of doing things either."

"No," Matthew said, sounding a bit serious. "I'm pretty sure we both know that you're smart. You just need practice and getting into better studying habits. But, you're capable of doing things. Maybe more than you think."

"Whoah, Birdie," Gilbert said with a laugh. "No need to be all serious over my small comment. But I guess that's a good motivation."

"Well, people do need a bit of motivation in their life." Gilbert didn't say anything, but just had this smile on his face...an honest one. Not like those smirks he would make. He went back to work for the next hour. Matthew was also doing a bit of studying in order to freshen up his memory.

In the midst of this small study 'session', they were doing a bit of small talk here and there, until they ended up just stopping with the studying and started to have a conversation until Matthew noted the time.

"It's going to get dark soon," Matthew commented, glancing out the window. "Shouldn't you be going home?"

"Yeah," Gilbert said as he was in the middle of going through Matthew's phone. Matthew was completely reluctant at letting Gilbert use his phone at first, but he soon gave in. "I'll leave in 5 minutes, maybe...Oh?"

"What is it?"

"I'm looking through your music," Gilbert said. "Do you listen to any bands?"

"Uh, I listen to bands like Mariana's Trench and Hedley," Matthew replied.

"They're alright," Gilbert said. "You have a bunch of different genres here Birdie. LIGHTS? Avril Lavigne? Tegan and Sarah? The Weeknd? And...oh, you have French songs too? Coeur de Pirate?"

"I'm not choosy with the type of music," Matthew responded, as Gilbert started playing random songs from his playlist.

"Hm-hm~" Gilbert hummed along to the various songs, before there was a ding sound that came from the phone. "Ooh! You have a text, Birdie!"

"From who?" Matthew asked, leaning over to look at the screen.

"Your lovely brother, of course," Gilbert said, pressing on the message button.

"Don't go snooping through my messages," Matthew said, taking the phone out of his hand. Matthew merely glanced at the screen, and decided that it would be best if he messaged him back later. He didn't want Gilbert to try texting him like last time.

"Well, since we're finished with our studying, you can go home now," Matthew said as he got off the sofa.

"What, do you not want me here?" Gilbert asked.

"Yeah," Matthew simply responded. "I'm tired of having you here."

"Mmm...I can't get up Birdie," Gilbert said as he lay on the couch, and his body sunk further in the cushions. Matthew sighed at his attitude, and he held out both his hands.

"Here," Matthew said, grabbing hold of Gilbert's hand. He was planning on just yanking him off his couch- he wasn't as weak as others may perceive him as.

"Are you going to try pulling me up?" Gilbert asked, although he already knew.

In an instead, Matthew used as much force as possible and he was able to pull Gilbert off the couch- much to the other's surprise. However, maybe Matthew pulled too hard, because Gilbert ended up almost tripping and topple on top of Matthew.

"Whoa!" Matthew exclaimed, as he was able to hold on to Gilbert so that neither of them lost balance. Unfortunately, that ended up with them being face to face with one another. Literally. As in, their noses were almost touching to one another.

To add it, Matthew was holding to Gilbert's shoulders so he didn't topple him over. They were like that for a moment; their eyes were staring into one another, processing what was going on. Matthew was completely captured by his pair of crimson eyes. The way that Gilbert was staring at him with made it seem like he was seeing through him...it was enchanting. He could have continued to stay, as he was if he hadn't realised the distance amongst them, and the awkward position they were in.

"Ah," Matthew muttered to himself, slightly pushing Gilbert away, and he could feel his face start heating up again. Stop it, Matthew, he thought. _Don't you dare blush!_ Matthew glanced over towards Gilbert, who was looking away from hi, and he was cover his mouth, also realising their position. Was he...blushing? No way. Not Gilbert.

"Um," Gilbert started, clearing his throat. "Uhh, I guess I'll be leaving now, then. Ah...where..."

"The front door," Matthew said pointing down the hallway.

"Right," Gilbert said, as he took his bag and started making his way down the hallway. Matthew was behind him.

"I-I'll walk you to the bus stop, if you like," Matthew said, although he really didn't want to after that odd moment.

"Nah, it's alright. I know where it is."

"What if you get lost?" Matthew said teasingly.

"Me? Lost? Yeah, right," Gilbert said with a smirk. He then paused, before playfully ruffled Matthew's hair, like he would do just to tease Matthew by treating him like a kid. "I'll see you tomorrow Birdie."

Matthew sort of did a huff when Gilbert did that, but he had to smile, and let out a small laugh, "Yeah I'll see you tomorrow."

Gilbert nodded, and he walked out the door. Matthew watched as he walked down the stairs that led to the porch, and did a small wave, before closing the door. Then he covered his face with his hands, as he took a deep breath.

 _Calm down_ , Matthew said, wanting his heart to stop beating so fast. _Why are you doing this around him? It's just Gilbert._

That's the problem. It's Gilbert that it happened around. He had that feeling before around him.

Why is it that whenever they make the slightest body contact, Matthew feels like his heart is going to explode? Why does his stomach feel so weird? Why does he feel this sort of...attraction to the boy?

It's not possible to have a crush on someone whom you've only known for a month...right? There has to be some sort of universal rule about it...it should be impossible...right?

Maybe if he stopped thinking about it so much, then he wouldn't be catching all these feelings. Yeah...that might be the best thing to do. Especially at the moment.

 _Oh, right!_ Matthew thought. _Alfred texted me...maybe I should just chat with him_. And with that, Matthew shoved all those thoughts in the back of his head as he tried to enjoy the rest of his evening.

Although, he was sure he can't ignore those feelings for long.

 


	15. Special Relationship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmm two (?) new chapter finally up! There's only a few more chapters ahead before I post my new chapters I wrote this year; some of these chapters might be cringey or problematic, but hey, this was what younger me wrote :^)
> 
> Anywho, thank you guys so much for the support, and for reading, putting a kudos, subscribing to/bookmarking this fic! A big thank you for the lovely reviews that you leave behind, they always mean a lot when I know you guys are still onboard with this fic xD And especially when there are certain conspiracy theories floating around (and someone pointed one out~)
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and the next one as well :D

The second hand ticked oh-so painfully slowly as M. Nzié continued to write with a white chalk on the black board, whilst explaining what he had just written down.

Today's second period lesson was more like an overview of the previous things they have learned (and should know) on conjugation and grammatical structure up until this point.

Matthew barely paid any attention to what was going on in front of him, but instead was staring blankly out into space. He already knew all of things that M. Nzié was talking about, and he found himself tuning out of the lesson due to sheer boredom.

He turned his view towards the window that was beside him, and peered through. It was quite unfortunate that today's weather consisted of heavy rain during the entire day, going on until well into the evening. The heavy rain did make a bit of sense, though. The previous days were all nice and sunny, without the slightest hint of clouds in the sky. This is what happens when there are so many days with such warm temperatures.

Although, it wasn't like he intended on going outside during the day. No, not even for lunch.

Today, by the constant request from Alfred, Matthew will be spending the lunch period with the boys from Gym class. Even though he really liked his friends from that class, and enjoyed being around their company, he really couldn't help but feel like he may have enjoyed his time much more with Gilbert.

Of course, with his friends it's all fun and stuff. They're actually the first group of people that Matthew actually talks to and who talks to him, but he was kind of just ... _there_. Like, on the sidelines. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing to be a wall-flower. You notice certain things and catch on to certain nuances before others do, but there was something else when he's with Gilbert.

Maybe it was just because whenever him and the older boy are together, it's usually only the two of them, so, maybe that's the only way and reason why Gilbert would talk so much with him. But he was loving this new and different attention he was getting from someone other than his brother or parents.

Ah, well. It was too late to change any plans now. He had already texted Gilbert the previous night to inform him about this change of plans, and he had already said yes to Alfred.

 _Please hurry up,_ Matthew thought wishfully, looking up towards the clock, feeling overwhelmed by how long this class was taking. He just wanted the day to hurry up.

It's not necessarily because he wanted it to be lunch so soon- rather, the quicker he gets through the day, the faster he'll be able to be in his fourth period class.

For those who may be thinking 'oh, so Matthew can finally see Gilbert!'; no. Fourth period was the end of the day. Meaning that the quicker fourth period arrives, the quicker Matthew can leave and go home with Alfred. Yes, that's the only reason why Matthew wishes for the last period to arrive. Not for any other reason, whatsoever. Not to mention he had a Math test today, so he would like to get through that.

As if his wish had been heard, he soon heard the bell to signify the end of the period ring. He got off his chair (just as the other students jumped off theirs) and walked out of the classroom along with the other students.

Matthew made his way to his locker before making his voyage towards where he would usually find the others. They would be on the fourth floor, near one of the stairs that connects the fourth floor and the fifth floor.

He took his time to walk down the hallways (and avoid making and physical contact with students who didn't notice him walking) until he reached the long hallway that goes to the staircase which connects the third floor to the fourth floor, which was in it's own little building area. Along one side of this said hallway is where one would find the main office -where one would find the Principal's and Vice-Principal's office- and the Student Services Room are (where the guidance councillors are). On the other side, there is another hallway leading towards the different facility for the Physical Education classes, such as Gymnasium, Fitness Room, Swimming Pool, etc.

There was also another room along where the Office and Student Services were, but further down. It was just a big, box shaped room with no plaque on top to signify what it was. Inside was rather empty, save for a single couch, a long table and drawers filled with who-knows what.

Matthew didn't know who used this room for the first few days upon arriving at the school, until he was informed by Feliciano that it was mostly used by the school's security guards that worked for the school. He have seen them in almost every single hallway he's been in. In total, they must have had at least 15 of them in the school. It was more than Matthew expected. Then again, the school is really huge, and there are a lot of areas that needed covering. Matthew never really knew them that well- they just kind of stood there, surveilling the students so there were no issues that arise.

Matthew was just passing by the room, when he noticed that Feliciano, Yong Soo, and Alfred were standing near the door. They (or, more like Feliciano) were talking to a young man, who must have been in his early twenties' at most.

"Yo, Mattie!" Alfred exclaimed the greeting as Matthew walked closer towards them.

"Hey, Alfred," Matthew replied, as he took the time to look at the man they were talking to.

He was a fairly tall man, with a bit of a slim figure, but maybe it was because of the big, beige hoodie was wearing, along with the jeans he wore. He has a tan colour to his skin, and curly dark brown hair, which suited his big green eyes. He had this very cheerful smile on his face, and the aura he was putting out was an optimistic one.

"Another friend of yours, Feliciano?" The man asked, and Matthew noted the Spanish accent he had to his voice. Matthew was a bit surprised that he actually took notice of him.

"Ah," Feliciano said, "This is Matthew! He's also in my Gym class!"

"Wow!" The man exclaimed, as leaned a bit towards Matthew to take a look at him, before looking at Alfred. "You two look almost identical! Is he your twin, Alfred?"

"No, he's my clone," Alfred said teasingly, to which Matthew responded to his question with a better answer.

"No, just brothers," Matthew said in a bit of a hushed tone.

"Ohh," the man said with a laugh, before proceeding to say to Feliciano. "You know, it's quite interesting how they're brothers and they look so much alike- almost identical! Yet you and Lovino appear completely different! Not to mention that how you two behave are complete opposite!"

"Who is he, Alfred?" Matthew whispered to Alfred in a low tone as Feliciano continued to chat with him.

"He's one of the security guards" Alfred whispered back, before Feliciano turned towards them.

"Alright, then!" Feliciano said. "We'll be going for lunch! I'll see you around!"

"Bye," the man said cheerfully, as he waved to the boys.

"What's his name?" Matthew asked Alfred as they walk towards the staircase.

"Ve... His name is Antonio!" Feliciano said before Alfred replied.

"Antonio?" Matthew repeated to himself. "Hm..."

"He looks young, daze~" Yong Soo commented. "You talked to him like you know him well, Feliciano?"

"I met while I was with my grandpa at the school him when he first came to apply for the job last year," Feliciano said. "He moved here from Spain alone around that time. I spoke with him while Grandpa was finishing something, and I got to know him a bit. I've seen him here and there, so I guess I got more familiar with him as time went by."

"How old is he?" Yong Soo asked.

"Hm...I think twenty two?" Feliciano replied. "I'm pretty sure around that age."

"Oh, cool," Yong Soo said. "I've never seen him around the hallways much, though."

"Well, he's an university student too. It's his second year. He comes to the school whenever he doesn't have classes."

"Whoa," Alfred muttered. "That's gotta be tough. What is he studying?"

"Hmm~? I'm not sure..." Feliciano replied, having a questioning look on his face. "I never asked him about that...He never told me...Maybe Lovino knows?"

"Who's Lovino?" Alfred asked as they walked up the stairs.

"Ah! You don't know who Lovino is?" Feliciano asked. They shook their head.

"I never did introduced him to you, have I? Well, Lovino is my elder brother," Feliciano said.

"You did mention to us you had an elder brother," Yong Soo said. "What year is he in?"

"Yep! Lovino is in Year 4 this year. He'll be graduating soon...I think you may have seen him in the hallways before, but I guess you can't really tell. I'll be sure to introduce him to you if we ever come across him."

"How does he look like?"

"Well, we have similar faces, but he always has a serious look, or a frown," Feliciano said, as he tried to do a scowl, as if trying to be serious, but it was almost impossible for his face to seem that way. Matthew had to hold back a small laugh at how funny he looked. So did the others. Feliciano continued, "His hair is dark brown, and he has green eyes. Completely different to mine."

"Sounds to me he's a completely different person from you, dude," Alfred said.

"Oh, he is. He doesn't like talking to other people, and is reserved...except when he's with girls of course. He can be really mean and harsh at times, too," Feliciano said, and Matthew noted how down he seemed when he said that last line. However, he put a smile on his face, while saying, "But I love him anyway."

They had already reached the fourth floor by the time Feliciano said those words, to find Kiku and Emile already there. They were discussing about something over notes- most likely Science, since they shared the same class.

"I'm sorry, but love who?" Kiku asked Feliciano, who had heard him first.

"We were just talking about Lovino," Feliciano said as he sat right beside Kiku, who slight moved to the side for some space. "You and Ludwig have already met him, right?"

"Your elder brother?" Kiku asked, and Feliciano nodded. "Yes, I have."

"Yeah, so, I'll be sure to point him out to you guys if we ever see him," Feliciano said to the trio, before letting out a small laugh. "Hopefully Ludwig wouldn't be with us around that time."

"Why's that?" Yong Soo said as he sat against the wall opposite to them.

"My brother really dislikes him," Feliciano replied after settling down beside. " He's always telling me to stay away from him! He claims that he's dangerous and all these ridiculous things." The Italian then pulled out a small booklet of sheet out of his bag, and decided to change the subject. "Anyway, did Mr. Rangarajan give you guys something similar to this for Science homework?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?" Kiku replied after scanning through the sheets.

"Oh! Did you already finish up to the third page?"

"I finished the entire booklet, actually."

"Even better! Well, I was wondering-"

"No, you may not copy our work," Emile cut him off before Feliciano can say any more.

"E-eh? Why?" Feliciano asked.

"Honestly, Feliciano, you're never doing any of your homework," Emile replied, with a scowl on his face. "You're always copying off of either Kiku or me! Yet, you're still getting good marks on the quizzez and crap!"

"B-but, Emile! I was busy last night!"

"With what?"

"Well, you see, I had to make pasta for dinner last night, and afterwards I had to take a _siesta!_ And then, afterwards I..." As Feliciano continued to make up some BS story, Alfred decided to take a seat beside Kiku (while Matthew sat silently beside him, and decided to read a book). He quietly observed as Alfred started talking to Kiku, and how he was interacted with him.

Matthew knew that his brother has taken quite an interest in Kiku. He knew that they were quite good friends, but there was just something there that makes Matthew think that there was something going on between them. Especially for Alfred. He'll be sure to ask him about it at the end of the day when it's just the two of them.

Matthew decided that it would be best to just review some things by himself, so he took out his textbook and started reading while finishing his lunch. However, just when he was settled down, he felt his cell phone in his pocket vibrate. Matthew quickly took it out, wondering what it was, when he realised it was a text. He smiled a bit when he saw who it was from.

Gilbert: _Yo Matthew. Where you at?_

Matthew: _'Where you at'? really?_

Gilbert: _You pick up new ways to say things..._

_Fine. Where are you?_

Matthew: _I think I told you already. I'm with my brother and my friends..._

Gilbert: _Yeah, but like, where?_

Matthew: _Fourth floor. Why? Are you going to grace us with your presence?_

Gilbert: _Exactly what I was planning ;) Of course you will have the honour of having me around._

_I was just curious, Birdie_

Matthew: _Oh really? I would be so honoured._

_Where are you right now?_

Gilbert: _I'm with the usual trio._

Matthew: _Well, then, I guess I won't annoy you with my texts. I'll see you in Math Class._

Gilbert: _Nah, you're not annoying me. I wanted to talk to you anyway._

Matthew: _Why?_

Gilbert: _Because I want to_

Matthew: _What about them? Why don't you talk to them instead?_

Gilbert: _They're boring though_

_And I like talking to you_

Matthew was prepared to type back, before Yong Soo leant over Matthew, looking at what he was doing.

"What are you doing, Matthew?" Yong Soo asked curiously, as he looked at his cell phone. "Who are you texting?"

"Uh, it's just a guy-"

"Gilbert?" Yong Soo read the name out loud for all to hear. "Who's that?"

"Uh, well-" Matthew started, before Feliciano cut him off.

"Yong Soo, you don't know who he is?" Emile asked, before Yong Soo shook his head.

"I heard that name, maybe, but I just can't remember," Yong Soo said.

"Mmm...Are you guys talking about Ludwig's brother?" Kiku asked.

"Yeah. It's really hard to miss him in the hallways, Yong Soo," Emile continued. "I'm pretty sure everyone in the school has seen him before at least once. He has this really white hair, and red eyes.

"Ohh! Him!" Yong Soo said, his eyes widening with recognition. "Ah! Now I remember hearing about him. He's, like, that kid that everyone says completely destroyed one of the Science rooms?"

"What?" Matthew said in suprise. Well, this was a first. He hadn't heard this before.

"Yeah!" Yong Soo said. "I remember hearing someone saying that last year, in December, he created some chemical explosion! Although, he denied ever doing so, he still got suspended."

"I also heard that he was a druggie? He got caught doing something, but he still does it even after getting a warning? There was also a thing about how he would always be fighting with people and stirring trouble. He got into a fight with an upperclassman, and they also had feuds during the year."

 _I'm guessing said upperclassman was Ivan,_ Matthew thought to himself.

"That bad, huh?" Alfred said, glancing over at Matthew to see his reaction.

"The worst they ever seen, they say," Yong Soo added. "Although, who knows if that's all true. Especially the science explosion one."

"Well, I met him during the summer, when I met Ludwig," Feliciano replied, thinking. "He was really nice to me!"

"He is," Matthew agreed, shooting a glare at Alfred. "I mean, yeah, he did stuff, but he's decent."

"Wait..." Emile interrupted. "Matthew, is that who you always hang out with during lunch?"

"Not always," Matthew mumbled. "But, yeah I do. Why?"

"You ditched us for the past weeks to be with him?" Yong Soo exclaimed.

"I didn't ditch you guys," Matthew said in a exasperated way.

"Hmm...you know there are words going around- actually, more like gossip," Emile said. "There was talk about Gilbert hanging out with a freshman...and there was something about how they have an... **intimate**...relationship..."

"What do you mean by intimate, dude," Alfred asked, although the look on his face kind of said that he already knew the answer.

"Like," Emile started, becoming a bit more flustered and embarrassed. "Like...intimate _intimate_. Like...in a..."

"Romantic kind of way?" Kiku added.

"Yeah...and a bit more..." Emile said in a suggestive way.

All eyes turned directly at Matthew. Matthew stared at them blankly.

"Am I missing something?" Alfred asked, confused at the stares they were giving Matthew.

"Ooooh," Feliciano sang with a small mysterious smile, like he knew something. "Matthew! I never knew you were like that!"

"W-What?" Matthew exclaimed, knowing what Emile meant. He felt a blush of embarrassment creep onto his face. "I would never-...We're just classmates!"

"Just classmates?" Yong Soo asked, his eyebrows drawn together, a questionable look on his face.

"...Okay, we're just friends," Matthew continued. Feliciano and Yong Soo looked at each other for a split second, before looking back at Matthew.

"Just friends?" Feliciano asked.

"Yes, just friends," Matthew said, looking at both of them seriously.

"What do you even do with him when you guys are together?" Emile asked.

"I just help him out with Math," Matthew said. "And we hang out...as friends." He added quickly.

"...Okay, Matthew," Yong Soo said, trying not to let out a small laugh. "Whatever you say."

"Right," Feliciano said agreement, although the look on his face says otherwise. "You know, Matthew, you could tell us anything."

"Yes, thank you for reassuring me, Feliciano," Matthew said.

"Yep! So, if there really is something going on, we wouldn't mind," Feliciano said. "You know, I don't mind if you swing that way."

"Really, now?" Matthew said. "Or, are you just saying that because you really think that there's something between us?"

"Oh, no. I honestly mean it. I really don't mind if you are gay, or bi, or however you identify," Feliciano said. "I don't dislike others for such a simple thing. Right?"

"Well," Kiku started. "I don't mind either."

"Neither do I," Emile piped in.

"Same," Yong Soo added.

"Yeah, see?" Feliciano said. "We don't care."

"..." Matthew couldn't help but smile at his friends' replies. It was nice to know they were accepting of sexuality and such.

It was nice. Although nowadays people seem to be more accepting, Matthew had encountered people against it- mostly because of how his parents are. He had also previously been through some encounters with people his age, calling his parents indescribable words. So this...was great to know he's found accepting kids his age.

"Anyway," Feliciano said, as he leaned over. "So, you're not with Gilbert, eh? Are you, maybe, with anyone else?"

"Nope," Matthew replied, before adding, "Never had and never will. What about you Feliciano?" Matthew asked.

"Well, there are plenty of pretty ladies here that caught my attention," Feliciano said with a small laugh. "Not now, but I did have a few before."

"I bet you had a girlfriend when you were five dude," Alfred said. "You're such a ladies' man! You would have more game than anyone of us!"

"Haha, actually, I was 7," Feliciano replied with a smile. "And, it was a boy."

"Well, but my previous statement stands," Alfred said with a chuckle.

"Huuh, Feliciano had someone when he was 7!" Yong Soo said. "I never went out with anyone! I'm pretty sure I'm going to be single throughout my whole life! Well...I guess Matthew and I are on the same boat, so that's a good thing!"

"Have you forgotten about either of us?" Emile said as tilted his head towards Kiku. "I think I'm stuck with you two on the boat. Although, it's not bad being single."

"I guess I am also with you guys," Kiku said.

"No way dude?" Alfred asked. "I wouldn't have guessed you never had anyone!"

"Really Alfred? Why would you think that?"

"W-well," Alfred started. "Well, I, uh, guess because, uh, you're not that bad looking?"

"U-uh, really now Alfred?" Kiku said, and a blush was slowly starting to form on his face.

"Like you're pretty good-looking, but, I mean it in a person who is interested perspective," Alfred said, before quickly adding, "Which I'm not, by the way-"

"He so likes him," Yong Soo whispered as for only Feliciano, Matthew and Emile can hear as Alfred started to ramble on.

"Who? Kiku or Alfred?" Emile asked.

"Both," Feliciano said in agreement.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought so," Matthew said.

"It's too obvious," Feliciano said. "The other day, Tino was saying how it was obvious to everyone, except those two."

"It sure seems like it," Yong Soo. "Maybe Matthew should ask Alfred about it for us."

"I already thought about doing that," Matthew said. "But I'm pretty sure he won't tell me."

"Just try," Felicia said with a wink. "And when you do, be sure to tell me!"

"Same here!" Yong Soo added. "Text me if you have to!"

"Yeah, yeah," Matthew said, just as Emile had decided to save them from their embarrassment by asking Kiku a Science related question, which Feliciano then asked the same question he had asked about the homework.

As the lunch hour passed, and Carlos and Ludwig had already joined them, they were all just talking on and on about the oddest and littlest of things. It was near the end of lunch, when they were walking towards the changeroom for Gym, when Matthew had decided to text Gilbert. It was just a simple text, saying he'll see him in Math, and he better be ready for the test.

Gilbert didn't reply.


	16. Here

Matthew said a quick 'bye' to his friends as he exited the male's changing room, and made his way towards his next class. He quickly, and quietly, walked through the hallways all the way to the third floor. He wanted to get there before Ms. Khemet arrived when the beginning of fourth period bell ring's, so he can do some quick last minute reviewing. He knew that Gilbert would also be there early, so he may as well help him out too.

However, once Matthew got to his classroom, he was surprised to find the boy's desk to be... vacant.

Matthew glanced around the room. Majority of the students were already here, scattered into groups, trying to do last-minute panicked reviewing, which has become a norm.

It was odd for the blond to not see him sitting at his seat. He was used to having Gilbert be there before him, and greet him with that grin he would have on his stupid face whenever he saw Matthew.

Matthew took his seat next to Gilbert's vacant desk, and decided to just review by himself and wait. Sometimes Gilbert came right after he had arrived, but never after the bell had rung. There were only 8 minutes left anyway, and he was sure that he'll arrive by then.

But, the minutes passed and the bell had rung. Ms. Khemet entered the classroom, carrying the tests under one arm.

There was no sign of Gilbert.

"Please return to your seats," Ms. Khemet said, and immediately the students returned to their assigned desks. "We'll be starting immediately."

Matthew glanced over at the closed door as his teacher began to hand out the tests individually. When she arrived at Gilbert's seat and noticed he was not there, she shook her head in disappointment, before handing the test over to Matthew.

Ms. Khemet had recently become much more stricter with the students. She even had a new rule, which she knows no one would dare break. She had decided that if anyone were to be late or absent, unless they had a note from the school, then they would not be given extra time, nor will there be make-up test. No one would dare break that, considering how many points her tests make up for the final mark.

She had reached the last students on the other side of the classroom, when suddenly, the door opened. Matthew had expected it to be him, so he looked up. Unfortunately, it was just Lillian and Natalia. The two girls looked like they had ran all the way to the classroom.

"Sorry we're late, Ms. Khemet!" Lillian apologised as she entered the room. Natalia followed behind her, not saying anything.

"We didn't start yet," Ms. Khemet replied, not bothering to ask them why they were late. She handed them a packet, before saying "Please, take your seats."

They obeyed, and went to their desks without another word.

After she was finished, she went to take a seat at her desk in the front of the room. Once she did, everyone started the test. The room was dead silent, save for the sounds of students scribbling down on the paper, and the taps of the calculator buttons.

Matthew, and most likely the other students too, were already through more than half the test when it was the half-time mark. Although he was completely concentrated, he couldn't help but feel a bit worried. Gilbert was completely worried about the test yesterday (he wouldn't say it, but it was pretty obvious), but he didn't appear to class at all. _What happened to him?_ Matthew thought.

As if to answer his questions, the classroom door opened, and Matthew looked over to the direction of said door. And there he was. Standing there, with his bag slung over shoulder, and hands in his pockets like he didn't care. But, there was something else. He looked a bit...pale? A sickening pale colour, unlike his usual glow. After closing the door, he walked straight towards Ms. Khemet, took a packet from the corner of her desk without bothering even saying hello, and went straight to his desk.

Once he sat down, he took out his pencil and started to go through the packet. Ms. Khemet stared at him for a bit, a look on her face that Matthew could not decipher, before going back to what she was doing.

Matthew glanced over at him for a bit, and noticed how his eyes were a bit red, and he was rubbing them like they were irritated. He hadn't noticed when he was further, but his finger were shaking a bit, and he couldn't hold his pencil properly. He seemed a bit distracted and distressed.

Matthew didn't say anything, but went back to his work. He finished the test with only 10 minutes left, like most students in the class. Some were still writing the test.

"You know, what?" Ms. Khemet started in a bit of a hushed tone, as to not to distract anyone. "Those who have finished may leave early as to not interrupt the other."

With that, the students who have finished left, saying farewell to Ms. Khemet. But, instead of running off like the rest of his classmates in hallways, Matthew decided to hang outside the classroom.

When the final bell rang, the door to the classroom opened, and the students filed out into the hallway. The one Matthew was waiting for was not apart of it.

He glanced inside to see that Gilbert and Ms. Khemet talking to each other. He couldn't hear anything, but he can tell they were not talking to each other nicely. Ms. Khemet was in the middle of saying something, before Gilbert rolled his eyes and started to walk away.

"Gilbert-" Ms. Khemet started, but before she can finish, Gilbert closed the door behind him. He glanced to his side, to find Matthew standing there, blankly staring at him. He didn't say anything, and started to walk away, before Matthew realised what he was doing and quickly caught up to him.

"Wait," Matthew whispered as he was walking beside him. "Where were you?"

"What do you mean by that, Birdie?" Gilbert said, his voice sounding hoarse.

"I mean, where were you for, like, half the class?" Matthew asked slowly.

"...That's none of your business, Birdie," Gilbert replied, as he continued to walk down the empty hallway. Matthew immediately felt a bit annoyed and mad at him for saying that.

"I spent yesterday helping you for this test, and you decide to appear when there's only, what, 30 minutes left? Like you didn't care! So I think I should be able to know where you were-"

"It. Does. Not. Concern. You." Gilbert said with irritation, stopping in his tracks, and turning to face Matthew. His eyes were still bloodshot, and he was shaking slightly, either out of anger or something else. There was this light odour that was clinging onto him, that Matthew had just noticed.

"You've been smoking, haven't you?" Matthew asked, trying not to sound disappointed.

"...Not here, Birdie," Gilbert mumbled, as he led him to the staircases nearby. There was no one there except for them.

"So, you **were**?" Matthew asked. Gilbert didn't reply. It made Matthew a bit sick to know that he was doing this.

"And you were doing so well too," Matthew mumbled to himself. "I actually thought you wanted to stop-"

"Oh c'mon," Gilbert said in an exasperated tone. "Don't use that shitty guilt tripping move on me. It was just one single fuckin' cigar! You make it sound like it's the end of the world!"

"Yeah, it was one, and I don't really care much, but it's completely different situation since you said to me that you would stop."

"No, I said, I will **_try_** stopping. Not fully stop out of nowhere."

"Well, from the looks of how you're skipping classes just to do that," Matthew started hotly, trying to contain his anger. He then mumbled, "It's like you're not even trying..."

"I'm trying Matthew!" Gilbert yelled suddenly, anger clear in his voice. Matthew froze, knowing that he had hit a sensitive spot, but he couldn't help but feel himself tearing up. As much as Matthew hated to admit, he was a sensitive person; he's rarely been yelled at, so this took him aback.

There was a slight pause, and the blond thought that he would yell again, but instead, his voice came out shaky and cracked, "I'm trying, okay? I'm trying and trying, but you don't think I am! Nobody ever thinks I do! You all think that you know me so well, that you know my limits... yeah right! It's so fucking annoying!"

Matthew stood there for a moment, watching as his friend turned towards the wall so his back was towards Matthew. His hands were covering his face like he was attempting to take deep breaths, but failing.

At that moment, Matthew felt like complete and utter shit. There was literally no excuse for him to use for what he had said. He knew how much it hurts Gilbert, and he said the very thing that most likely he had heard a thousand times and detested.

"I'm sorry," Matthew whispered as he walked towards Gilbert, whose back was still facing towards the blond. "I didn't mean to...say it like that..."

"...No...I'm sorry for yelling," Gilbert sighed. "...You can give up on me if you want. I seriously don't know why you even want to help me."

Matthew stood quietly, thinking. Why did he even want to help Gilbert? Well, for one thing, Matthew didn't really like the idea of someone he cared about hurting themselves over a substance and may end up with some sort of infection. Not only that, but Gilbert sort of welcomed his help earlier.

No. It seemed that Matthew took Gilbert's situation a bit too personally. Maybe it was because Gilbert sort of...reminded him of Francis.

Francis was so filled with life. He had this certain glow that attracted many people. But, as time went on, he started to give up on life, and he started to fall deeper into a bit of despair, till the point he seemed lifeless and helpless. Matthew saw it. He witnessed how his Papa would behave...how different he was. It hurt not only Francis, but also Matthew. It scared him.

Gilbert is a great friend to have. He's even awesome in his own right.

Matthew spent more time with him than with any other person he had first met. He can have an ego, but he's really nice and kind and smart and funny and... And he doesn't want Gilbert to end up hopeless and empty, and lose everything. It's scary to think of him that way.

"I want to help you because I don't want you to end up being a mess," Matthew said. "I've seen what happens to people who just gave up like that and I don't want you to end up like that. It's scary. And it's shitty. For the person and those who actually care about him. I know, okay? I know what it's like and I don't want you to end up like that because I care."

"I don't care what happens to me-"

"You do," Matthew said softly, reading through him. "Don't you?"

"...You shouldn't waste your time worrying about me," Gilbert said quietly after saying nothing for a while. "I'm a worthless case-"

"I rather waste time worrying about you than doing nothing about it," Matthew replied. "You're actually worth a lot." Gilbert didn't say anything, except take a deep breath in.

"You're really aren't going to give up on bugging me, are you?" Gilbert asked.

"I don't plan to give up," Matthew said. "I know I'm wishy-washy at times, but I don't give up as easily as others think I do; especially if they're my friend."

"...Let me guess," Gilbert said as he reached into his pocket and took out a small white box. "You're going to throw it out?" He tossed it towards Matthew, and the blond caught it.

"It's obvious that doing _that_ won't work, just suddenly stopping," Matthew said. "Maybe...we should take a different approach. Unless, you know, you're willing to follow it."

"I'm listening," Gilbert said, leaning against the wall.

"Well, remember how I told you that my Papa used to smoke? He would do it because something bad happened or something sort of triggers him. I guess, he found it through different ways now, but he doesn't smoke cause he knows what makes him to that. So, what about you?"

"What?"

"Why do you smoke?"

"..." Gilbert glanced around for a bit, before letting out a forced laugh. "Man, you're sounding like some psychiatrist or counsellor."

"Would you rather see one of those?"

"No way," Gilbert exclaimed. "My grandpa doesn't know about this! If he finds out about it, he's gonna kill me!"

"Yeah, and we wouldn't want that to happen," Matthew said with a small smile at how much he exaggerated.

"Well," Gilbert started. "Well, I guess I still do it because...oh never mind."

"What is it?"

"It's...whenever I remember what happened to Ludwig," Gilbert said. "Or, whenever I...fight with Opa and I disappoint him. Which happens a lot actually. And the pressure I get to do better and to try harder and shit."

"But you could do better."

"Yeah, but, I am actually trying to keep up," Gilbert said.

"...Wouldn't it be better if you talked about it with someone? Instead of smoking?"

"Yeah, but who? And don't say councillor, please..."

"Elizabetha? Roderich? Heck, Basch too," Matthew named. "You're close with them."

"She doesn't know I still do this either," Gilbert said, his mouth forming a straight line. "Nobody does. You just caught me red-handed last time."

"Oh...Okay," Matthew said slowly. "Well, um, there's always me if you want to, that is."

"Are you really willing to hear me complain?"

"Not complaining...I guess you could call it venting out," Matthew said. "Everybody does it once in a while."

"Okay," Gilbert said. "And what if I get urges?"

"Um...distract yourself?" Matthew said. "I think that's one of the best methods."

"Like doing what?"

"I don't know. Whatever you like to do. Walk, write a journal, sing, anything."

"Hang out with friends?"

"Yeah, of course! Anything that'll distract you!"

Gilbert didn't say anything for a bit, just staring up towards the ceiling. He then let out a small sigh, before looking straight towards Matthew.

"You really trust me Birdie, don't you?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"You know, I could easily do the same thing like I did. I could go out and buy another packet, even though you took mine. I could easily smoke behind your back."

"But you won't," Matthew said, before asking, "Will you?"

"No, I won't."

"Really?"

"You have my word," Gilbert said.

"...I wouldn't have thought you were the type to promise things."

"Well, you're wrong about that, Birdie," Gilbert said, and a grin appeared on his face. "When I promise something...I intend to keep it." Matthew didn't say anything, except he let a small smile slide.

"But, this is going to be hard," Gilbert said.

"I'll help you as much as I can," Matthew replied. "But ultimately it's up to you to quit it."

"Are you really willing to help me with it?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" Matthew said. He then walked up in front of Gilbert. "Let's go. I have to take the bus home with Alfred. He'll be waiting for me at the bus stop. You take the same bus, right?"

"Yeah, but Elizabetha wanted me to meet her in the library," Gilbert said, before letting out a small chuckle. "Plus, I really don't think you're brother wants me around."

"You're right about that," Matthew responded, rolling his eyes remembering what Alfred would always say. "He dislikes you for some stupid reason."

"Well, a lot of people seem to dislike me at this school," Gilbert said as he began to walk down the stairs onto the second floor. "It's not really a surprise he would too. What does he say?"

"Just unnecessary stuff," Matthew said. "Honestly. I know he thinks it'll benefit me, but that's what he thinks."

"I'm pretty sure you would've thought that if you weren't stuck with me in Math," Gilbert said, opening the door to the hallway, and allowed Matthew to go through first.

"Luckily I am," Matthew whispered, thought only he could hear it, as the duo started to walk down the hallway. They both entered the foyer, to find it completely deserted.

"Right," Gilbert said. "Where's your brother?"

"Most likely waiting outside," Matthew replied. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Right," Gilbert said, as he turned towards the direction of the hallways that leads to the library. "See you Birdie!"

Matthew was about to walk away, before he heard Gilbert say, "wait!"

"Thank you Birdie," Gilbert said.

"What for?"

"Just...thanks," Gilbert said. "You're already helping me out with one thing and now this."

"I'm fine with it," Matthew replied. "I'll gladly help a friend. You don't have to thank me."

"Well, I am," Gilbert said. "Anyway, I'll be going now. Bye, Birdie."

"Bye," Matthew said before walking outside. He couldn't help but smile to himself.

* * *

"Dude, what took you so long?" Alfred exclaimed when Matthew arrived to the bus stop. When he arrived, he realised that him and Alfred were the only there.

"A few buses passed by, and it was so awkward cause everyone would go in and the bus driver would wait a few seconds because of me!" Alfred said as Matthew took out his wallet to take his bus fare out.

"What, no one else takes this bus?" Matthew asked.

"No," Alfred said while he looked over the street to check if the bus was coming. "I was walking with Tino, Berwald and Yong Soo. But they live in the dorms, dude, so they don't bus it! They left me to go to the mall."

"And Ludwig? I thought he takes this bus too."

"He, Feliciano, and Kiku went to the library again," Alfred said, before he said dramatically, "I was all alone in the cold waiting for you! Good think it isn't raining like earlier!"

"Don't jinx it, Al," Matthew said, when he noticed a familiar vehicle. "The bus is here. You remember to bring your fare, eh?"

"Yes, I remember," Alfred said, holding it up in front of Matthew.

"Good," Matthew said with a grin as the bus lulled over. They both entered the bus and paid, before taking a seat at the back of the bus. Luckily, the bus wasn't crowded.

"Where were you anyway, dude?" Alfred asked once they took their seats and the bus started to move.

"I was at school," Matthew replied.

"No shit, Sherlock."

"Screw off Watson," Matthew snapped back.

"Ugh, don't be rude brah!" Alfred said dramatically.

"I'm the one being rude?" Matthew said in the most sarcatic way he could.

"No, but seriously," Alfred said between chuckles. "Where were you?"

"If you must know," Matthew said. "I was with Gilbert. And we were just talking for a while."

" 'Bout what?"

"Just the math test. Nothing serious."

"Well...if you say so...Do you-?...uh, nevermind," Alfred began, before quickly dropping it.

"What?" Matthew asked.

"It's nothing dude," Alfred said, looking a bit uncomfortable. "I'll...ask you when we get home."

"Okay?" Matthew said, not really understanding his discomfort. He decided not to bother, and instead asked, "Hey, how long has it been since you last visited Papa?"

"I don't know, but it was way too long," Alfred said. He then muttered, "I feel bad coming now..."

"Why?"

"I didn't talk to him for a long time and I didn't even bother going earlier.. What if he gets mad at me?"

"Really Alfred? _Papa?_ Getting mad at you? He's the last person to ever get mad at anyone."

"Yeah, but still..."

"Most likely he'll shower you with kisses when he sees you," Matthew joked. "Don't worry too much."

"...Well, okay," Alfred said slowly.

Matthew then changed the subject towards something else, and their conversation went on until they reached their designated stop.

They reached the house soon after, and once they entered the house and made their way to the living room, they saw Francis in the midst of getting up. He glanced up when he heard their footsteps, and was going to say something, before he realised Alfred was there with Matthew.

"Hey Papa," Alfred with a smile.

"Mon dieu," Francis muttered, walking up to them. "Alfred, I almost didn't recognised you...You look different!"

"Really?" Alfred started, before letting out a small chuckle.

"You just look different from the last time I saw you," Francis said with a laugh, now standing infront of them. He placed a hand on each of the boy's shoulder affectionately. "But it's a good different. Have you gotten taller? How long has it been, almost a month?"

"Yeah, I think I grew a bit," Alfred replied with a big smile. "Papa, sorry for not coming earlier-"

"It's alright," Francis replied, before Alfred leaned over to hug him. Francis hugged him back, while saying, "You should come over more often!"

"I will," Alfred said, before breaking the hug. "I plan on coming weekly."

"Good," Francis replied. "How has school been for you?"

"It was fine," Alfred replied. "Nothing that exciting happened."

"Don't you two share a class together," Francis asked as he sat down on the sofa. "What was it again?"

"Phys. Ed." Alfred replied as he sat on the couch. "And it's good. We made some friends from that class."

"Really?" Francis asked. "Matthew never told me about them. Only his _petit ami_ from Math class." At that moment, Matthew had gone to the kitchen, and was drinking some water. He almost choked on his drink when he heard Francis say that.

"What?" Alfred said, and there was obvious alarm in his voice. Matthew rubbed his temple. It was just his luck that Alfred was able to understand French. He couldn't speak it as well as he, but he was able to understand it fluently enough. Francis may as well have said it all in French.

" _Tu veut dire ami, Papa, (_ You mean friend, Papa)," Matthew said quickly. Francis looked at him with a hint of confusion, and he looked like he didn't bought that at all.

"Ah, yes, of course Matthieu I meant _friend,"_ Francis replied. He then turned to Alfred, who sat there in a bundle of confusion. "Anyway, Alfred tell me about your friends from class. Is there anyone who sparks your interest?"

"Whaat? Pfft, no," Alfred said in a wishy-washy way, and at that moment, he gave everything away to Matthew and Francis. "Why would I like anyone?"

"Really?" Francis asked.

"Yes, Papa," Alfred replied, grinning nervously. Francis glanced between him and Matthew for a second, before letting out a sigh.

"Ah, _mes deux fils,_ (my two sons)," Francis said. "You two never cease to amuse me. Well, if you ever need advice, just come to me, alright? Including you, Matthieu."

"Like I'll ever need it," Matthew mumbled to himself. Soon, Alfred and Francis started chattering together, mostly Alfred with what's going on, how the school was and for a while everything felt like how it was before...all normal. Well, almost normal. Their conversation went on, and would've kept going if Francis hadn't check the time.

"Oh!" Francis muttered to himself, before getting off the sofa. "I just realised the time!"

"What?" Alfred asked, getting up himself.

"I have to get to work early today," Francis replied disappointingly. "Ah, I'm sorry Alfred. I wish I could stay with you longer...especially since it's been a while..."

"No, it's alright," Alfred said, and Matthew could tell he was forcing himself to sound cheerful. "I understand. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Yes, of course," Francis said. "You both have school tomorrow, right? Be sure to go to bed early."

"Of course," Matthew said. Francis went to the front of the house to put his shoes on, and the brothers followed him. "Uh, is it alright if we order pizza for dinner, Papa?"

"I would prefer you not to," Francis started, pulling out his wallet from his pocket. "But, I guess for tonight."

"Yes!" Alfred said in triumph as Matthew accepted the money given.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Francis replied, as he leant over to plant a kiss on Matthew's forehead and gave him a small hug. Matthew took every second of it in. Francis then turned towards Alfred, and said, "And I'll see you soon, I hope."

"Of course," Alfred said with his signature smile. He hugged Francis, and he whispered, "I missed you, Papa."

"I missed you too, chéri," Francis said, before also planting a kiss on Alfred's forehead. "Bye, boys."

"Bye," they both said in unison as Francis closed the door behind him. They stood there for a moment, before Alfred broke the silence.

"I wished he stayed longer," Alfred said, biting his bottom lip.

"I wish he would too," Matthew replied.

"...It's nice to see him smiling, you know?" Alfred said, his voice sounding hoarse. "Didn't think I'd see it again."

"I know," Matthew replied.

"I actually thought he'd be mad at me..." Alfred admitted.

"I can't believe you think he'd be mad at you."

"I was afraid he would dislike me for not seeing him for so long..." Alfred said, his face turning red with embarrassment.

"If it makes you feel better," Matthew started, "he told me you were his world...myself included."

"Seriously dude?" Alfred said, and a bashful smile appeared on his face.

"Seriously," Matthew said. He took Alfred's arm and tugged him, while saying, "Come on." Matthew led them back into the living room, and they sat on the couch.

"What kind do you want?" Matthew asked as he took his cell phone out of his pocket.

"I'm fine with anything dude," Alfred said as he laid on his back, taking up the entire couch, leaving a bit for Matthew to sit on the edge. "As long as they don't have veggies."

"Aw, but that's good," Matthew said as he dialed the number down. "Then I guess I'll just order pepperoni..."

"I'm just gonna put my bag in your room..." Alfred said, taking both their school bags, leaving Matthew to make the order.

They waited until their dinner finally arrived, and they returned to lounging around on the couch. Alfred decided that since neither of them had any homework, they could spend the time by watching a movie marathon, ranging from action to horror. They were lucky that Alfred had left many of the films here.

Alfred would be so into the films that Matthew would make snide little remarks here and there. Matthew had the most fun when they were watching a horror movie. The entire movie was a cliché, and Matthew would laugh while Alfred will jump at the smallest of things.

"Dude! How are you not scared?!" Alfred exclaimed as he held on to Matthew's arm for dear life with one arm, and another arm holding on to a pillow. "The ghost just popped out of nowhere and dragged her!"

"How can you find this scary?" Matthew laughed when Alfred jumped again, nearly on top of him. "This is hilarious!"

"Screw this!" Alfred said, as he jumped off the couch and stopped the film. He took out the CD and put it back in it's jacket, before getting another film. "Let's just watched this one!"

"What is it?" Matthew asked as he walked up towards Alfred, before he started to laugh again.

"W-What dude?" Alfred asked.

"A romance Alfred? Really?" Matthew asked between laughs. " _A Walk to_ _Remember?_ Since when did we ever have that? Since when were you so sappy? Wait - are you in love Alfred?"

"I-I'm not sappy!" Alfred said, his cheeks turning pink. "And I'm not in love! You wanna watch a horror movie instead?"

"I don't care," Matthew said as he returned to his seat. "You choose whatever you want."

And so they watched the movie chosen by Alfred. Alfred was completely absorbed in the film, and was laying across the sofa, his head on top of Matthew legs as he held onto the pillow. During that time, Matthew had kind of zoning out here and there, his thought drifting elsewhere. Once the film had finally finished, Alfred turned off the T.V, and he looked like he was about to cry.

"Aw, were you crying, Alfred?" Matthew asked, trying to look sympathetic.

"No!" Alfred exclaimed, as he quickly wiped his eyes. "Why would I cry over something like this dude."

"You were crying!" Matthew pointed out, as Alfred got off the sofa, and he did the same.

"Shut up dude!" Alfred said again as Matthew started to chuckle to himself. "It was really sad, okay!"

"Alfie, do you need a hug?" Matthew asked, as Alfred started to go down the hallway.

"Whatever man! I'm going to bed," Alfred announced, standing in the hallway, as if waiting for Matthew.

"Okay," Matthew said, as he took the pizza box and put it in a recycling bag. "Why are you still standing here then? You know where your room is."

"Y-yeah, but, uh, you know," Alfred started, before Matthew said,

"You want to sleep with me tonight, don't you?" Matthew asked. Alfred didn't say anything, but nodded.

"How old are you again? Fourteen?" Matthew asked as he walked up to Alfred, turning off the kitchen and living room lights.

"Dude, what will happen if there was a demon under my bed or something?!" Alfred asked as he followed him closely, holding onto Matthew shirt. "What if they kill me? You don't want your brother dead, do you?"

"You really don't believe in that do you?" Matthew asked when they reached the top floor, Alfred still clinging onto him, looking at him with his puppy eyes. "Fine, Alfred, you can sleep with me tonight."

"Yay!" Alfred said, pulling Matthew into a hug. "Thanks Mattie!"

After they had prepared themselves for bed, they went into Matthew's room. Alfred immediately flopped onto the bed, taking up nearly the entire space.

"Dude, your room hasn't changed one bit," Alfred said, glancing around Matthew's room. It was true that Matthew hadn't really done anything to his room in the past months.

The walls of Matthew's were all white and blank, save for the various hockey posters he had taped up. His bed was against the wall opposite to where the sliding door that led to the balcony is, and there was a black studying desk against another wall, where his closet and drawers were. Other than that, there were nothing else there.

"We should paint your room sometime," Alfred said, as Matthew slipped into the other side of the bed. Matthew turned off the lights, and their source of it is from the moonlight. "Give it some colour."

"I like my room like this," Matthew replied, before saying, "But, I'm considering maybe painting the walls. I don't know which colour though."

"Hmm..." Alfred said, thinking. "Red. Yeah, definitely red. You like that colour, right?"

"Yeah, red's a nice colour," Matthew said, turning to his side so he can face Alfred. He suddenly, he remembered what he was planning on asking Alfred since the afternoon.

"Alfred-"

"Mattie-" They both said at the same time, before stopping to let the other one finish.

"Oh, sorry," Alfred said. "What were you going to say?"

"Um, what were you going to say?" Matthew asked.

"No, it's nothing, dude. I was going to ask something, but I'll ask you after. You can go first."

"No, my question isn't that important. What were you going to ask me?"

"Well," Alfred started, glancing away, looking a bit embarrassed. "I-Is...what Emile said earlier true?"

"What?" Matthew asked, unsure about the question.

"How...you know..." Alfred said shifting uncomfortably, before clearing his throat. "About...you and Gilbert?"

Matthew could suddenly feel his insides was churning again and he felt heat rising to his face. Luckily, it was just dark enough that Alfred couldn't see Matthew's face turning red.

"A-ah," Matthew started, taken by surprise by Alfred's question. "Of course not, Alfred!"

"Really?" Alfred said, not believing in him.

"You're going to seriously believe in something Emile heard more than your own brother? Now, that's just stupid..."

"Seriously, Matthew," Alfred said. "You're always with him...more than with any of us..."

"He's just a friend, Al," Matthew replied. "I really wish you'd stop worrying about me hanging out with him."

"I can't help but feel a bit...worried," Alfred said. "I don't know, dude." Alfred paused, before saying, "You'd tell me if you like someone, right bro?"

"Yeah," Matthew said, "I would. And you'd do the same too...right?"

"Of course, dude," Alfred admitted. "You would be the first..."

Matthew found the opportunity to change the subject towards Alfred, and said, "Speaking of liking someone...Do you like anyone, Alfred?"

"What?" Alfred stammered nervously. "No! Why would I-"

"You're so lying," Matthew pointed out. "You have a crush on someone, don't you?"

"W-well," Alfred started, before stopping.

"Who is it?" Matthew asked, leaning towards him.

"...I don't know man," Alfred replied.

"What do you mean by that?" Matthew asked.

"...Hey, Matthew...it's fine to like both girls and boys, right?" Alfred asked.

"Um, yeah? Why?" Matthew said, not expecting his brother to turn the conversation like that. After Alfred didn't reply, Matthew said, "Are you questioning your sexuality?"

"I don't know," Alfred said, sounding dead serious. "I'm kind of...lost? Like, I know that I like girls, but I don't know if I like guys and...I think I like guys...I mean, there are some guys but like...I don't know...It's alright being bi, right?"

"Of course it is, Al," Matthew said. "Are you worried that there's going to be an issue with that? Because, you do know that Papa, Dad and I are obviously going to be fine with it. And then there's Feliciano and the others who's okay with that. I'm pretty sure Tino, Berwald, Ludwig, Carlos and Heracles would be fine with it."

"Huuh," Alfred sighed, moving in closer to Matthew.

"Don't stress over it Alfred," Matthew said. Matthew decided not to ask Alfred about Kiku...yet. He may ask him another time when Alfred comes to terms with his sexuality. He doesn't want to stress the guy out. He looked completely lost with the whole thing. "Just take your time. You don't need to confirm it or label yourself right away. Just know that you've got a lot a people supporting you."

"...We're really lucky to meet to end up meeting them, aren't we?" Alfred said, referring to their friends. "I was actually relieved when I heard what Feliciano said. We haven't had much luck finding some people like that, have we?"

"Yeah," Matthew replied. "We're lucky to find them." He heard Alfred let out a yawn.

"I'm tired," Alfred mumbled, his eyes slowly closing.

"Then go to sleep," Matthew said, pulling the light sheet over him.

"'Night," Alfred managed to muttered, already slipping into his sleepy state.

"Good night Alfred," Matthew said.

In a few minutes, Alfred was fast asleep. Matthew laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling, absorbing the day's event, specifically from Gilbert, and added on by this new revelation from Alfred. With Gilbert, Matthew felt weird; he was never the heroic type, that's always reserved for Alfred. He tends to take initiative and help people out, but subtly, in a way people don't notice. So with Gilbert, it was weird for him to be so upfront like the way he was; thought he doesn't mind. 

But Matthew couldn't help but feel that this dilemma was only a small bump, and there was way more to come.


	17. Fragments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yesss finally progress on their relationship :D
> 
> I originally was going to make it into two parts due to the POV changing, but the two seperately would be considerably short and I wanted to get it out of the way lol.
> 
> Anywho, thank you readers so much for liking, subscribing, and reading my piece! Also, thank you for the lovely comments/reviews! I really appreciate them!
> 
> Now, onto the chapter~

Matthew was sitting on his bed, a small book in his hands, his back against a pillow, and a leg propped up with another pillow. It took him hours to find this exact position, and now that he has found it, he was able to comfortably read this little book he was reading.

The black hardcover had the title _To Kill a Mockingbird_ written in silver colour letters; a classic American novel that is used in most high schools as one of those novels that students have to read and analyze throughout the school year.

Matthew had seen this book in one of his Dad's many bookshelves growing up. He would see Arthur look through it while sitting at the dining table, or when he was at his little study in the basement, both in this house. He could vividly remember the details of those scenes.

A yellow light in the corner, coming from the nightstand on the corner of his the old dining room desk. A tall stack of papers – his students' essays – that he was going to look through placed to another corner, with the one he was currently reading through and correcting was in front of him and the ones he finished in a different pile beside him. A white teacup with flower embroidery on the rim nearby for him to reach and drink from. The sound the red pen scratching the surface of the paper, breaking the silence of the night, accompanied by the ticking of the clock on the wall.

These were the late nights Matthew witnessed when he snuck from his room to go to the kitchen to get a glass of water – or when he was attempting to steal snacks to keep in his room with Alfred for midnight snacks.

_"Alfred?" Arthur would ask, before turning his chair to look over at the young. "No, Matthew? What are you doing out of bed?"_

_"I'm just getting a glass of water," Matthew would reply swiftly with a tiny smile, having practiced this line many times before. Arthur doesn't tend to question when Matthew was out of bed late at night; he wasn't like Alfred who tried to debate with their Dad to let him stay up. "And what are you doing Dad?"_

_"Oh, just correcting some school work," Arthur replied, leaning into the chair and stretching his back from the hours of hunching over his desk. His messy blonde hair was clipped back to make sure it didn't get on his face while working. His face – lit up partly by the yellow light- looked exhausted, with his tired eyes trying to open properly and faint traces of bags forming underneath his eyes._

_"Ah," Matthew said. When he was younger, he didn't think about the toll having to work and take care of them had on Arthur; instead Matthew saw an opportunity to not go to bed by talking with Arthur instead. "Can I help?"_

_Arthur looked at him for a moment, a small smile playing on his lips. "Sure," he said, tapping his lap with both hands._

_Matthew walked up to his Dad, and sat on his lap. His tiny legs couldn't touch the floor, and he swung it a bit as Arthur turned the chair towards his desk. He adjusted the chair so they both could fit underneath the table. Matthew was quite small at that time, so Arthur was able to see over him to look at the papers in front of them._

_"What's that?" Matthew asked, pointing at the pages in front of them._

_"Essays from my second year class," Arthur replied, reaching over to his teacup._

_"About?"_

_"The book they are assigned to read."_

_"This is so long," Matthew said, flipping through the multitude of pages. "We don't even write this much in English class!"_

_"That will slowly change, dear; when you're older you're going to have to do the same and read these types of books." Arthur gestured to the thick book beside the essay._

_"I can't wait till I'm older," Matthew said whimsically. "Then I can read all these books you won't let me read and I stay up late like you and Papa."_

_"I don't let you read it because you have to learn the history behind these books, and the reading is advanced; there are plenty of children books of this topic too. And you'll regret saying that," Arthur chuckled. "Just promise me something Matthew?"_

_"Hm?"_

_"If you ever decide to be a teacher, don't be an English teacher," Arthur said. "Be a Math teacher or something; you wouldn't need to be correcting all these papers like me."_

_"I don't wanna be a teacher," Matthew chimed. "I already know what I'm going to be."_

_"Really? What did you decide?" Arthur asked, amused._

_"I'm going to be a hockey player when I'm grown-up," Matthew responded casually without skipping a second._

_"Hockey player?" Arthur repeated. "Like Wayne Gretzky?"_

_"No, better," Matthew muttered, tiredness coming over him, and he let out a yawn. "I'll be my own player – I'll have my own number and have my name on a jersey. And I'll just be known as Matthew Kirkland-Bonnefoy…"_

_Arthur must have noticed Matthew was beginning to space out and would doze off any minute, because he picked Matthew up. They heard the screen from the front door open, and could hear the sound of keys clink together._

_"That must be Francis," Arthur mumbled, Matthew clinging on to his shoulder as he held up in one arm. "Alright young man, I know you didn't come downstairs to get water; it's time for you to sleep. Papa's home from work, and he won't be happy with either of us if he knew you were up this late."_

_"I'm not tired, though," Matthew protested, but didn't say anything more as Arthur started to walk through the hallways and up the stairs._

_"You have school tomorrow," Arthur replied with a sigh. "And so do I."_

_"That sucks."_

_"I agree."_

_Arthur opened the door to the room he shared with Alfred. Arthur slipped Matthew underneath the blanket, tucked him in and planted a kiss on his forehead._

_"Goodnight, love," Arthur said in a hushed tone._

_"Goodnight," Matthew mumbled, slowly closing his eyes. He could hear Arthur soft footsteps out the room, and the creaking of the staircase. He could faintly hear him welcome his Papa, and their hushed voices could be heard, although their words were indistinguishable. And slowly, young Matthew fell asleep, his vision going black._

This book he was reading was one of the books that he saw Arthur used for his corrections. He recently asked Arthur if he needed it for any of his classes this semester, and once his Dad confirmed that he didn't need the book, Matthew took it and began reading the pages. He was completely absorbed and intrigued; he kept reading it throughout anytime he didn't have schoolwork or was free by himself.

Now he was nearing the end of this novel. He read the last chapter, anticipation rising and falling after the final conclusion was made. Once he finished the last line, he looked at the blank page that is always left at the end. He then closed the book, and sighed with both satisfaction for finishing the book, but also sadness that now he'll have to find another one to read as equally interesting.

Matthew stared at the book in his hand. _Now I'm going to have to find another book_ , he thought, placing it on the nightstand beside him. He sat on his bed in silence, pondering on what else he could do.

Alfred stayed over the night before and left in the morning. Even though it was a Saturday, his American Football coach sent out an e-mail saying they have a mandatory practice early afternoon right before the season starts, leaving Matthew alone. Francis was home, but of course, he was sleeping for most of the day. He left for work late afternoon, and now Matthew was alone in his room.

 _I could probably go to the library tomorrow,_ Matthew thought. _No wait…tomorrow's a Sunday; the library nearby would be closed...I'll just go to the book store and see if there's anything new._ He looked towards his sliding window, the heavy red curtains pulled apart, to reveal the darkness outside. He couldn't see clearly through due to the light from inside reflecting back his room's translucent image.

The sound of the wind howling outside can be hear, along with the branches rattling in the silence. He enjoys it when the atmosphere was like this; granted, he enjoyed the company of his brother and his father, but he also can find happiness in solitude once in a while. It was that sense of tranquility, the feeling of just viewing the world flow by.

Matthew got off his bed and made his way towards the sliding door. He slid it open, and walked onto the small wooden balcony that laid outside. It opened to the backyard. He leaned over the railing; a tree standing to the side of the balcony- if one were courageous enough to, they could climb up said tree and jump onto the balcony, although that would be risky for the person jumping.

He stared out into the backyard, his eyes getting adjusted to the dark, and he could make out the shapes of his spacious backyard..

In a corner, there was a shed with all of the gardening equipment that were once used to care for the rows of flowers and vegetable plants along the tall wooden fence that surrounded the perimeter of the backyard. Abandoned blue and white garden lights stood scattered across the grass, once standing straight in uniform, now forgotten and left with their dwindling power. Matthew could see the grass a bit due to the lights, left unkept and haven't been cut in quite a while. His eyes wandered to the centre of the yard; there stood a playground set, it's swings swaying gently, the slide and monkey bars bare, and the sandbox long abandoned.

Nostalgia and a sort of desire swept over Matthew every time he looked at this scene; he was too tall to still use these things, and but sometimes he would sit on one of the swings, gently swaying when he was facing a dilemma. It's not the desire of being a child again that was in Matthew; it was moreso the desire of being a tight-knit family like they once were.

He remembered that Arthur had actually bought this set after weeks of debating with Francis over whether to buy one for them to play or just use the one in the park that was nearby their elementary school that they would be attending that year's fall. This was when Matthew and Alfred were four years old, about a few months after they were fully adopted by their parents.

When they weren't at school playing with friends, and were home on the weekdays and the weekends with all their homework done, they would play on this playground set, with either Arthur or Francis keeping a watchful eye on them.

It wasn't until they were a bit older that Arthur was more comfortable for them to not play only in the backyard, and they would play on the neighbourhood streets, but they still used it as a fort of a castle for their make-belief tales.

Matthew remembered snippets of these moments so clearly in his mind; him and Alfred running around, their parents occasionally joining them; playful and happy.

Not to say that now he doesn't have fun and is not happy, but there is something about the child innocence that made the world around them seem so much more joyful.

 _Why am I reminiscing like I'm an old man?_ Matthew thought, looking up. The skies were clear, revealing a brightly lit crescent moon against a few stars. Luckily, where he lives, pollution hasn't completely clogged up the night skies and you can still make out stars and a few constellations. He silently stared, his mind going blank.

_RIIIIING! RIIIIIIIING!_

"Ah!" Matthew flinched in surprise at the sudden loud sound coming from his hoodie pocket. He had left his phone in there, and completely forgot about it until he heard the ringing.

He took his phone out, and looked at the screen. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the name on the screen.

 _Gilbert?_ Matthew thought. _Why is he calling me?_ He doesn't mind people calling him but he usually preferred to text. There was no awkward silence when you're texting someone, and no rush to fill the void with meaningless banter that would work in person.

This was unusual thought; Gilbert does message him at late times, but he never calls him.

_Not that I mind._

"Hello?" Matthew answered, trying hard not to smile.

"…Hullo?" Gilbert's voice said, with the familiar rasp Matthew like. "Matthew?"

"Yeah, Gilbert?" Matthew answered, grinning stupidly. There was something about the way he said his name – the rare instances that is – where his name sounded appealing when Gilbert said it. However, there was a certain uneasiness that came along with it. At this point, Matthew knew he would only call him by his name rather than his nickname when he was serious about something.

"What's up?" Matthew asked, and could hear a weird sound of crackling in the background. He wasn't going to outright ask him what was wrong; he'll try to ease into it. "Why did you call?"

"Oh I didn't known that the awesome me wasn't allowed to call," Gilbert said, his tone a teasing one but there was something about it that sounded…hollow and tired.

"I didn't mean it that way, "Matthew replied, opening the door to go back into his room, the chilly air slowly numbing his fingers. More crackling sounds could be heard over the phone from Gilbert's side. "I don't think you've ever called me before. It's weird; this is the first time."

"Well, this can be our first phone call then," Gilbert replied. "Are you busy right now?"

"Nah, I was just reading a few moments ago."

"Yuck, reading," Gilbert joked. "So…that means you're home right now?"

"Well yeah I am. Where else would I be?"

"It's a Saturday, people usually make plans and go out. I thought you'd be with your brother or out with him and your friends."

"Nope, not me," Matthew replied. He could hear Gilbert quietly exhaling deeply, as if he was walking up a hill or just finished running. That, with the sound of the crackling – which Matthew now assumes it's the sound of the wind blowing- he figured that Gilbert was outside. He glanced at his clock. 11 pm.

"I don't usually make plans to go out; my weekends are usually the time I recharge by myself," Matthew continued. "And Alfred was with me, but he had to go to football practice earlier; he's back at my Dad's place. I'm at Papa's."

"Ahh I see…"

"And you?" Matthew asked, steering the direction to get Gilbert to talk. He had a feeling he was out somewhere; it was late and he assumed he was alone and something happened. "What are you up to? Wouldn't your grandpa be annoyed at you for talking to someone so late at night?"

"Wouldn't Francis think the same?"

"He's not home right now; he's got work."

"Hmm, yeah well, I'm not exactly… home right now," Gilbert replied, muttering out the last line.

"Yeah? Where are you?"

"Oh just out and about."

"At 11 pm? Alone?"

"How'd you know I'm alone. I could be with Eliza-"

"Cause you'd usually text me than call," Matthew said. "…Did something happen at home?"

There was no answer from Gilbert, and he could lightly hear him breath.

"I see," Matthew continued, getting the answer he assumed. "Did you call to talk about it?"

"Well not exactly…" Gilbert finally replied. "Just wanted to talk with you."

"About?"

"Nothing in general. Just…talk," Gilbert said, a bit solemnly.

 _Okay, maybe I shouldn't bug him too much about it,_ Matthew thought.

"Where are you right now Gilbert?" Matthew asked. Matthew was slightly worried that the boy was out alone this late at night. He knew he would be fine, but he couldn't help but worry about these things.

"…At the park," Gilbert said. "You know, the one that's close to your place too?"

"Yeah, there's only one near me," Matthew replied. That park is an isolated area; it's nearby a neighbourhood, but there is a small forest that surrounds it, making it a sketchy place to go late at night, and a hotspot for little crimes that ends up on the local news. Anything could happen to Gilbert there. Not even Matthew and Alfred goes through it as a shortcut when they get home late, mostly because Alfred was scared of the urban legends of ghosts roaming around the forest surrounding that place.

"Isn't it further away from your place though?" Matthew continued. "I thought you guys lived near that…wealthier neighbourhood."

"Well yeah, but I like this one," Gilbert replied. "It's…quaint. Reminds me of home a bit."

 _He must be talking about Berlin_. "But Gilbert, it's really late right now…and that park is really sketchy at night. It's surrounded by forests, and the closest home is far away neary the train tracks that's on the other side…"

"So?"

"So, it's not safe!" Matthew astounded by how he didn't connect the dots. "What if something happens to you?"

"I'll be fine Birdie," Gilbert replied, chuckling. "You think I'm scared of this place? This is nothing-"

"Doesn't matter; don't be stupid and go to a place like that of all places at this time," Matthew replied. He paused, and thought for a second. "Are you even planning on going back home?"

"Uhh….I don't know…"

"Look," Matthew said. "You said you didn't want to talk about it right? And you just wanted to…talk and chill I guess? I think it'd be better if you came over to my place."

"Wha? Are you sure you're fine with that Birdie…I don't want to intrude or anything…"

"Well…I'm alone now, Papa isn't here for me to ask. And he usually doesn't mind those things," Matthew replied. "That and…I think it'd better talking face to face since you're in a sort of…bad situation right now. Right?" _I'd feel better knowing you're safe._

A slight pause.

"Alright Birdie," Gilbert replied after a few seconds passed. "Send me your address. I'll try using data to get to your place."

"Okay," Matthew said, relieved to hear him say that. "I'll send it to you right now. I'll see you in a bit then?"

"Yeah, you will." Gilbert replied. "Later."

With that, Gilbert hung up. Matthew typed in his address in the message bar, before hitting send.

Asking Gilbert to come over-especially this late- was not something Matthew would usually do all of the sudden. He would usually have to take some time to decide. But hearing Gilbert being out there alone worried him, and knowing he wasn't planning on going home made him worry even more.

 _Why do I worry too much?_ Matthew sighed, lying on his stomach across his bed. It didn't sink in, but now his stomach started to form a knot thinking of Gilbert coming over at his place. This late at night…

Would Francis be all right with it? Well, he was fine about these things to begin with, but this is mostly with Alfred; Alfred usually had friends over, and had friends stay the night before. For Matthew, well, this year was really the first year he's had an actual group to be with, and Gilbert was the first person Francis knew about.

If it were Arthur though, he probably would've been pissed he didn't ask permission first. That, and adding on Matthew was still hanging out with Gilbert – especially after implying he shouldn't- well…Matthew was never in that sort of situation with him, so he doesn't know what would happen.

 _Calm down_ , Matthew commanded his stomach. _Why are you being all weird like this thinking about him? Matthew, this isn't the first time he's come over and this isn't the first time you're hanging out with him alone….Maybe I should drink something to calm myself down._

With that, Matthew made his way down the stairs to the kitchen. He turned on the kettle, and sat on the couch. Waiting for Gilbert to come.

* * *

 

"Hey," Matthew said with a smile as he opened the front door.

Gilbert was standing on the porch, his hands in his leather jacket. Due to being October, the night temperatures have started to fall, and he took it upon himself to open his fall wardrobe. He wore the light blue shirt with a collar he recently bough on top of a white shirt- all his black shirts and tank tops were in the laundry, due to that being the only thing he wore underneath his school uniform. Hey, he might as well be stylish while he was running away from home for the night.

He doesn't always have to look like the personification of _Hot Topic,_ or at least, that's what Matthew told him once; he could tell Matthew meant it as a diss, but the way he said it with his soft, sweet voice, he would've taken it as a complement.

Gilbert was all calm and collected waiting for Matthew to open the door. That is, only up until Matthew opened the door. When he saw Matthew standing at the door, in his oversized red hoodie, and his white pajama pants, all of his thoughts went blank and he only thought two things.

 _Fuck me. He's so fucking cute._ The cute smile Matthew had on his face didn't help Gilbert gain control over his thoughts.

"Aren't you cold in that?" Matthew continued, opening the door wider. It took a few seconds for his question to compute in Gilbert's head, and he

"Please Matthew, I'm too awesome to be cold," Gilbert replied with a smirk, as he walked through the front door. He let one of the straps of his backpack slip off his shoulders, as he embraced the warmth the house offered.

This was the second time that Gilbert had been to Matthew's place; the first when he went to study for the test that he ended up skipping yesterday.

Which is why he left home in the first place. Alaric wasn't home last night, so Gilbert was able to fall asleep peacefully for a night. A well-deserved sleep after the small conflict he had with Matthew that day.

Gilbert could say that it wasn't his fault that he skipped most of fourth period being alone on the rooftop, and lighting up a cigarette; he could blame his thoughts, he could blame nightmares he keeps having, he could blame it on his nerves. But in the end, he knew he was entirely at fault for not having the willpower to not do it.

Matthew, of course, scolded him in the most Matthew way possible. Something about the way he talks when he's genuinely angry reminded Gilbert of Mr. Kirkland; how he starts asking a direct question softly, before it snowballed to passive-aggressiveness. Unlike Mr. Kirkland, though, Matthew would be entirely calm throughout the entire argument. And unlike Mr. Kirkland, who sounded purely angry, Matthew sounded mostly disappointed.

Which, in Gilbert's opinion, is worse. When someone is disappointed in you, it just means that they were on your side, rooting you on, until you end up doing something that not only hurt yourself, but them too.

That being sad, Gilbert had another round of disappointment today, straight from Alaric…again. This late afternoon, Ms. Khemet called their place to tell him about what Gilbert did. At the time, Gilbert was out by himself, trying to avoid doing the chores set out by Ludwig. Although he's good at cleaning, and he prides himself in being very proper and organized, more than Ludwig, when someone is demanding him to do something, he just doesn't want to do it.

He ended up at the library, and still wanting to busy himself rather than going home, he ended up picking up a book. Surprisingly, he did enjoy actively reading at times, but as mentioned earlier, only if he's not forced to by anyone. That's why he such a hard time in English class; they were assigned a book he was not interested in, and the only time he read it was when he was avoiding chores, or when he was incredibly bored during another class.

He came back in time for dinner, but he wasn't prepared for the scolding he got from Alaric. It was like that episode from two weeks ago, but instead, more yelling from Alaric, and Gilbert mostly accepting it and talking back sometimes. It came to the point where, he just couldn't take it anymore, and he left the dinner table again to go to his room. Only, this time he took his backpack and placed a set of clean clothes inside, and headed out.

He simply told Alaric that he was going to Roderich's place, to 'work on an assignment' even though neither of them had a single class together. Alaric didn't stop him; he actually looked like this time off would be good for him to cool down. Throughout the whole argument, Ludwig just sat there, looking down, avoiding eye contact with either of them.

Gilbert didn't intend on staying away from home forever; he just needed to spend the night somewhere. He texted Roderich to ask him if he was in his room, but Roderich responded saying he was out with Elizabetha, Basch and Basch's younger sister, Lillian, at some restaurant downtown. This left Gilbert to wander through the streets, walking out of his rich neighbourhood, to the neighbourhood nearby; where Matthew lived. He liked the big park that was in that neighbourhood. It was spacious, with a big forest, with a nearby train track that led to the closest subway station, and a large pond. There was a playground there, usually filled with children until the sun set; then it could be a pretty creepy place, isolated with no one around.

Gilbert like the isolation. He like being alone. He liked the loneliness that wrapped around him. And at that moment, especially, he needed that loneliness. He sat on the bench in front of the park, staring out to the open soccer field, the pathway lit up by a few yellow filtered lamps.

In the loneliness that he was in, thought, he couldn't help but feel like he just wanted someone to talk. That's when he remembered what Matthew told him. _There's always me_ , Matthew had said when Gilbert said if he couldn't talk to any of his other friends. That's how he ended up picking up his phone, and calling Matthew.

Matthew figured out he was outside, and he insisted him to his place, so he could be safe for the night. Apparently, Francis was out for work and wouldn't be home until next morning; and even if he found out Gilbert was there, he wouldn't have minded.

Gilbert would be lying if he said that his stomach started to do summersaults when Matthew told him to come over. He would also be lying if he said he didn't have a sudden perverted thought at that moment. He would especially be lying if he said he didn't have a bit of feelings for Matthew at this point.

 _Don't do anything un-awesome,_ Gilbert told himself once he was outside Matthew's place. _Don't say anything un-awesome. Calm down and be cool._

So, here he is, in Matthew's house. Just the two of them. All alone.

"It'll get colder in November," Matthew said as Gilbert took off his brown combat boots. "That's when it starts to snow here."

"I know, and it sucks balls," Gilbert replied, frowning. When he moved to Canada, he thought that the winters would be like that in Berlin; winter was his favourite season there, and he thought it'd be the same in the region he was moving to. Oh, how wrong he was. He could've sworn that, with the amount of times he had to shovel the driveway last year, his arms became more muscular and his pecks were tighter. "I hate winter here; too much snow, and it's always damp and frigid."

"I guess, but for me, it's the best season," Matthew replied. "It's when hockey season starts and I can play."

"You play hockey, Birdie?" Gilbert asked, surprised at this fact. "Since when?"

"Since I was six?" Matthew said, leading his down the hall. He stopped in front of the staircase. "I loved watching the NHL growing up, and Papa signed me up for the local league here. I still play it, but I took a break last year. I'm considering starting it this winter."

"Damn, I never would've thought," Gilbert said, genuinely interested. "I could see you in something like…baseball."

"Ugh, that's Alfred's sport," Matthew groaned. "Along with football. I only watch baseball if the Jays are playing, but if they're not on, I don't; it's too boring to watch at times. The only sport we agree on is basketball. So you want to come up to my room or do you want to stay in the living room?"

"Oh Matthew," Gilbert said, placing a hand on his cheek as he tried to fake being bashful, but little did Matthew know that his thoughts wondered off and he was actually turning pink. "This is only the second time I've been to your home alone; I don't think we should take it to the next level yet."

"Haha, you're so funny, you should be a comedian," Matthew replied, but he still smiled. Gilbert felt good. "C'mon. I think you'd be more comfortable in there. It's the room that's open. I'll grab us something. Do you want coffee?"

"You know, stand up comedian was something I was considering if I failed Math again." Gilbert replied, chuckling at Matthew's response. "Sure, but I don't take sugar in my coffee."

"What about milk? Or cream?" Matthew asked, as he walked towards the kitchen.

"Nope," Gilbert said. "I like black coffee. I'm not a big fan of sweets."

Matthew gave him a confused look, as if he couldn't believe him. Even his confused look is cute.

"Okay, I'll grab snacks just in case," Matthew said, as he walked further down the hall to the kitchen.

Gilbert continued up the stairs, and he found the room that Matthew was talking about. He went inside, and he was blown away.

 _For someone organized when it comes to work,_ Gilbert thought, as he placed his bag and hanged his jacket over the chair beside the desk that was inside, looking around. _He's really…messy._

To Matthew, it properly looked like any normal room, but Gilbert could pinpoint all the places that were off. His closet was slightly open, and Gilbert could see a pant leg peeking out of the door, on the floor. He could also see the top of his desk drawer slightly open, a paper peeking out.

Matthew had a tall bookshelf that was nearby the foot of his bed, and the books were haphazardly placed, some vertically placed, while some horizontally stacked on top of each other. He noticed for the rest of his books he couldn't fit, he actually stacked beside his bookshelf, unevenly. His pillows were placed on opposite sides of his bed, on top of his thick blanket, which he could forgive because it looked like Matthew was on his bed before he came downstairs. The red curtains were knotted, and not pulled apart with the curtain clips that Gilbert saw on the bookshelf. Gilbert spotted the amount of paper scattered all over his studying desk, and some sandwiched between textbooks, with some pens scattered across it, and some in the mason jar that sat on the corner of the desk.

Even thought he complained about how anal Ludwig was about organization, he knew he was way worse than him.

"You're so cute, but your room is a mess," Gilbert mumbled, as he opened the door of the closet to push the pants insider. What he found was even worse.

Matthew had no organization whatsoever; his shirts weren't even organized by the type of shirt, but also by the colour. Gilbert found it was mostly red and white, but even those were mixed in different orders, along with the various blues, greens, and yellows. There was a shelf that covered the top of where his shirts hung. His pants were folded there, but again, some were open and hanging over the ledge.

"Uh, Gilbert?" he heard Matthew ask behind him, and he turned around quickly. Matthew was balancing two mugs on it, and there was a tray with maple leaf shaped sugar cookies on a small plate.

"What were you doing?" Matthew continued, setting the tray on his desk. "Why are you holding my jeans?" Gilbert realised what he did, and he started to internally panic.

_Shit. He probably thinks I'm snooping around or something! Or worse, he thinks I was going to do something creepy!_

"Your pants," Gilbert said quickly, before realising how weird it was. "A-ah, your pants were on the floor and out of your closet, so I was going put it back. It's not what you think! I-I wasn't doing anything weird or anything like stealing your clothes or-"

"What the fuck?" Matthew asked, more in an amused manner, laughing at Gilbert's last comment. "Stealing my clothes? I didn't even think of that! I thought you were going to hide inside the closet to scare me!"

"Whu," Gilbert started, slightly confused. "Why would I…"

"Alfred would always hide in a closet and wait for me to pass by," Matthew replied. "Then he'd jump out and scare me! It was so annoying, but I would do the same to him, so it's even. Don't you do it to Ludwig?"

"No," Gilbert said, now understanding, and smiling. "I only did that to Roderich, but I would hide behind the door, or around a corner."

"Yeah, so that's what I thought," Matthew continued. "But that doesn't explain why you're holding my jeans. Maybe you are trying to steal my clothes."

"Like I said Birdie," Gilbert replied, throwing (much to his disliking) the pair of jeans back inside the closet, and closing it. "It was poking out of your closet and I was just going to put it back inside. And why would I want your clothes when I have my own, awesome clothes?"

"Mhm," Matthew said, as he went to take both of the cups off the table. "I have to admit, thought, I think this is my favourite outfit of yours. You should wear more colours. They look nice on you."

Gilbert's heart fluttered, and he grinned. "I do have a lot of coloured clothes; I just like wearing black cause it's easier to match."

"I can't handle too much black," Matthew said, handing Gilbert his cup of coffee. "Too gothic for my liking." Matthew sat on his bed, putting one of the pillows back into place. He looked at Gilbert for a moment. Gilbert was too busy watching him, too occupied admiring his face.

"Aren't you going to sit down?" Matthew asked, breaking Gilbert out of his trance.

"Yeah, yeah," Gilbert said. "Uh, can I organize your room though?"

"Uh," Matthew started, looking at him weirdly. "Sure? Why, what's wrong with my room?"

"Nothing," Gilbert said. "I'm a bit…of a neat freak. Just the little things."

"I see. Well, I haven't organised my room in a bit," Matthew agreed, standing up. "And my closet's a mess too. It'd be nice to get it to look a bit nicer."

Before they knew it, Matthew and Gilbert started to organize Matthew's room, with Gilbert fixing his horrendously disorganized bookshelf, and Matthew organising his closet so it looked proper. And throughout that time, they just started talking about anything that popped in their mind. It was mostly gossip from school, and other random tidbits here and there as they enjoyed their drinks. Gilbert figured that if Matthew wanted to know, he would ask. Their conversation kept going for a bit long, almost for half an hour, while.

It ended with them on Matthew's bed, facing each other as they enjoyed their drinks that have cooled down, still talking, until the conversation took a different direction.

"So," Matthew started, as Gilbert took a sip. "You want to explain to me why you're outside this late? If you don't want to, you don't have to; just remember that."

"Walking here, I thought about it and…I'm fine with telling you what happened," Gilbert said, making at Matthew. Matthew turned around to face Gilbert, crossing his legs, both hands holding onto his mug.

Gilbert recounted the gist of what had happened. Matthew's expression was soft, his eyes maintaining eye contact and listening carefully, nodding here and there, not interrupting Gilbert.

When Gilbert was done, he took a deep breath and looked away. He'd never really spoken about these things to anyone, and Matthew was the first. Now that he thought of it, he sort of went into details of what he said to his grandpa, and what his grandpa said to him. He was glad, thought, that he let it out, and he didn't need to bottle it up for him to keep thinking about it.

Matthew looked at him, looking like he was thinking. He then moved closer, his knees almost touching Gilbert's.

"I don't know if my opinion matters," Matthew started softly, his voice calm and steady. It was enchanting, the tone of his voice. It made Gilbert immediately feel comfortable, trusting, and safe.

"Say whatever you want Matthew," Gilbert said, his voice a bit rasp. "I don't mind."

"Well, even thought what your grandpa said to you was harsh and direct," Matthew started, pausing as Gilbert took a sip. "It just sounds like he's really worried about you. I know that yelling isn't the best way of doing it, but you said that you've had a lot of conflicts with your grandpa, right?"

"Well, yeah..."

"I guess that he got fed up with it and thinks yelling is easier. I was never yelled at growing up," Matthew started, pausing slightly. "And neither was Alfred. Both our parents didn't yell when we were in trouble. But I remember there was this long period of time, after their separation where Alfred would act out in school. Like, cause trouble, and Dad would be called to the school almost everyday. I was in the same school as Alfred, and even though I was in a different class, I would also be sent home with him because the kids kept confusing us and ended up blaming both of us."

"At first, Dad would scold Alfred as usual; he would be calm, never raised his voice. He was direct but never harsh. It wasn't until it kept being this cycle that he started to yell at Alfred. A lot. And at times, he'd be so fed up he'd be harsh. At the time, we didn't realise how much pressure he was under, handling us alone. That, along with work, adding on with Alfred getting into trouble every single day, he would yell at Alfred."

"Alfred eventually stopped," Matthew said with a sigh. "And Dad doesn't yell anymore. But, my point is, your grandpa's probably under a lot of pressure. Even if you didn't do the things you used to do, your grandpa is probably fed up with it. He's probably-"

"He's worried I'm going to end up like my dad," Gilbert intervened, and Matthew stopped. Gilbert continued, "My dad and mom dropped out of school because they had me. And my dad had to work hard labour jobs for long hours with little pay. My grandpa knew this, and would send money to help, but he was busy with work, so there wasn't much support. We barely got by. My parents struggled a lot. They would always end up fighting over money. That's really why my dad was an alcoholic; it was the only way to escape after a long day."

"And your dad is his…?" Matthew asked.

"His son," Gilbert replied, with a grimace.

"It makes sense for him to worry about you and to be frustrated," Matthew said. "No offence."

"No, I know I'm a handful. It's just better when someone else says it to your face, you know? But, now I know what to do to avoid it." Gilbert said.

"Good, as long as you understand that," Matthew said, taking another sip from his cup.

Gilbert suddenly felt his craving starting to slowly kick in. He needed something. He didn't have cigarettes. So what could he distract himself with?

"Can I have some?" Gilbert asked, pointing towards the plate of sugar cookies.

"Yeah," Matthew muttered, getting up to bring the plate to the bed. "I thought you didn't like sweets?"

"Just need something to calm the cravings down," Gilbert muttered, taking a cookie and taking a bite. Gilbert tried not to throw up by how horribly sugary this cookie was, but now he was distracted for a bit. He glanced over to Matthew, who was happily munching on the sugary snack.

"God, this is so sugary," Gilbert mumbled, gulping it down with the coffee. "I can feel the diabetes. How can you eat this stuff?"

"I don't eat it all the time," Matthew said, grabbing another cookie as he happily munched. "But when I do I enjoy it a lot."

 _Even when his mouth is full of food, he still manages to be cute_ , Gilbert thought, as he took another small bite.

"Sorry," Matthew said suddenly. Gilbert gave him a confused look. Matthew continued, "I mean, I know you didn't really want to talk about it when I asked over the phone…So I feel like me asking again made you tell me, you know?"

"Nah, Birdie," Gilbert replied. "I actually feel better, now that I talked about it. Thanks for listening to me complain."

"Anytime," Matthew said. "I was worried, too."

"'Bout what?"

"Well, you were calling me Matthew," Matthew said, smiling a bit bashfully. "I'm so used to you calling me 'Mattie' and 'Birdie', that you calling me by my first name made me think you were in a bad mood."

"Aw, so you like the awesome nickname I gave you?" Gilbert asked with a smirk.

He was expecting Matthew to say something sarcastic, but instead, he said with a smile, "Yeah, I actually like your nickname."

Gilbert's heart leapt, and he couldn't stop himself from thinking of a scenario.

It was just the two of them. Alone. In Matthew's room. On Matthew's bed. They were talking, and joking around a bit. Matthew was close by him. His knee was touching his knee. God, his knee was touching his knee.

_"And I really, really like you, Gilbert," Matthew suddenly said, his voice soft and sweet, leaning in, his hands on his legs, as he was on his knees, inching towards Gilbert. His face is inches away from Gilbert, his violet eyes shyly looking away, biting his lower lips. "And I want you to stay with me tonight."_

_Gilbert ran his hand gently through his soft, wavy hair, and slowly lean in, the small of the sweet, sugary, syrup flavoured cookie lingering between them._

_"Oh, Gilbert," Matthew mumbled, as Gilbert kissed his cheek, before moving to his lips. "Gilbert…"_

"Gilbert?" Matthew said, waving his hand in front of Gilbert's face. "Did you even hear me?"

"Yeah?" Gilbert said, staring at the boy, his voice sounding far off and dreamlike. He suddenly snapped out of his trance, realizing that he was fantasizing, before quickly saying, "Wait what."

"I asked if you wanted to stay over tonight," Matthew said, a bit concerned. Gilbert now realized that he was staring at Matthew in complete silence. "It's getting kind of late for you to go out."

"O-Oh, ah," Gilbert started. He thought for a bit, before deciding.

 _I can't stay over,_ he thought. _Ludwig is probably worried about me. Maybe Opa is too…_

"No, it's alright Birdie," Gilbert said. "What time is it?"

"It's past midnight," Matthew replied, pointing to his clock on his nightstand. "Are you sure?"

"Don't worry about me, Birdie," Gilbert replied, getting up. "It's already enough that you let me in this late. I couldn't stay over. Besides, Ludwig and Opa are probably worried about me."

"Ah, okay. If that's what you want," Matthew replied, also getting up. Gilbert couldn't help but notice how disappointed Matthew sounded, but brushed it off. He went to take his bag, and slipped on his jacket, before slipping his backpack over his shoulders. "I'll walk you downstairs."

They reach walked to the front door together. As Gilbert put on his shoes, Matthew continued, "Make sure you message me when you get home. So I know you're safe."

 _So cute,_ Gilbert thought, as he opened the door. "Don't worry, Birdie. I'll be safe."

"You better not die on your way home," Matthew replied, a small smile on his face. "School would be boring without you."

"Of course it would, Birdie," Gilbert joked. He walked out the door, and stood on the porch, before saying, "Thank you, Matthew. For talking and making me feel better."

"Jeez, you don't need to thank me," Matthew said. "I'm your friend, remember? I wanted to have you over. I wanted to talk to you."

Again, Gilbert's stomach did a summersault. _I really, really like you_ , Gilbert wanted to exclaim, but he held it back. Instead, he said, "I really wanted to talk to you too, Birdie. That's why I'm thanking you. Because you didn't have to, but you did."

There was a slight pause as their eyes locked. Purple met red. There was silence; not an awkward silence, but it wasn't a comfortable silence. It was a silence with some sort of meaning.

_I really, really like you._

"Well, be safe," Matthew said, breaking the silence, while looking slightly away.

Gilbert smiled. "I'll see you on Monday, Birdie."

"Okay, bye," Matthew said with a smile.

"Bye."  _I really like you._

"Later."

"See ya." _Be mine._

"See you on Monday."

"I will."

"Why aren't you leaving?" Matthew asked with a small laugh.

"I'm waiting for you to close the door," Gilbert replied. Even hearing his laugh filled him with something he couldn't explain.

"Okay, weirdo," Matthew said. "I'll see you in class."

And with that, Matthew closed the door. Gilbert stared for a few more seconds, before walking down the porch to the driveway. He let out a sigh.

_I think I have a crush on you, Matthew._


	18. Operation: Get Matthew and Gilbert Together!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to leave you guys with the last chapter for a few more days (since it really helped move the romance plot in this story), but I really like writing this chapter and I really wanted to post it for you guys to read xD
> 
> Reading the comments on the last chapter made me so happy! Even though we were all lowkey thinking 'Gilbert, finally you admit it'! Matthew is going to be a bit harder to crack though, so this will be interesting.
> 
> I've been introducing a lot of the characters really slowly (mostly the core groups that the characters hang out with), but much more will be introduced from now on. 
> 
> Now that I've been thinking about all these ideas for the characters in this universe, I really want to write their pairings and stories individually too :') 
> 
> Anyways, thank you guys so much for reading, liking, and commenting on this story! It really means a lot to me! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!
> 
> WARNING: This chapter does contain mentions of ex-ship(s)...

"Why am I here again?" Gilbert asked blandly as he stood near a racket of clothes, his arms held out with stacks of skirts and shirts.

 "Because, you agreed to go shopping with me?" his Hungarian friend replied, holding two skirts in front of her, putting both in front of her pants to see which one suited her better. They were both the same type of skirt, but one was a dark green while the other was a pastel one.

Elizabetha huffed, before holding up both skirts to Gilbert's face. "Which one do you think is better?"

Gilbert rolled his eyes. _So not awesome._ "I never agreed to go shopping. I just wanted to hang out and talk to you about something." He looked at both of the skirts in front of him, before saying, "The dark green."

"Are you sure about that?" Elizabetha frowned, looking at the dark green skirt. "I already have a lot of dark skirts…"

"Then why did you ask me?" Gilbert grumbled.

The night before was when Gilbert went to Matthew's place to talk to him. After talking with him about his dilemma with his grandpa, he left to go home, with a revelation in his mind.

He got home, entering silently. He found his grandpa lying on the couch in the living room, a beer can on the ground. The sight was a bit triggering to Gilbert, and it didn't help that his father looked direly similar to Alaric. He was prepared to apologize to Alaric, but seeing that he was fast asleep, he decided to tell him the next morning.

Gilbert went to his room, to find a plate covered by those plastic microwave covers. He immediately knew that Ludwig had left it there for him. Gilbert felt a twinge of guilt for leaving his brother alone like that. He checked on Ludwig in his room, where he found him fast asleep. After eating the food that was left for him, he went straight to his bed to sleep the day's stress away.

He tried to sleep, but he couldn't. Only one thing was on his mind; Matthew. The revelation he had hit him hard.

_I have a crush on Matthew_ , Gilbert thought, his heart racing. _Holy shit. I like like Matthew. I have a crush on him. Shit._

It's been a few months since he's last felt this sensation; the warm feeling swelling up in his chest, the feeling of his heart beating so fast and loudly that he could hear it, the feeling of butterflies fluttering in his stomach. It was the desire to be with that person every single waking moment. It was the feeling of being head over heels into someone, the feeling that blurred the line between want and need.

It was at that moment when Gilbert, as much as he wanted to cry out ' _I really really like you, Matthew'_ , he knew he had to be conscious about whether he should stop this feeling before it gets out of hand, or continue to let it inflate. He had a crush on a guy before, and after being really into him for a few months and actually believing he had a chance, the devastating reality that he was straight and disinterested in guys hit Gilbert hard. He did manage to get over it, and move onto liking someone else (and eventually dated him), but he did not want to have to feel that crushing emotion again.

That's when he texted Elizabetha if they could hang out the next day, and one plan led to another, and before Gilbert knew it, Elizabetha had dragged him into one of the bigger malls in the town to do some shopping. Even though it was fall, and the weather was chilly, Elizabetha insisted she needed to stock up skirts and dresses for the summer, and they were half-off in all the stores during this time.

And here Gilbert was. Being Elizabetha's shopping rack and carrying her bags.

Before entering this store, they had visited a few others, including the bookstore on the bottom floor so Elizabetha can buy some new manga. Gilbert was already holding three plastic bags, including her brown duffel bag she always carries around slung around his shoulder, when she decided to hang some of the clothes she liked on his arms.

"I need a second opinion," Elizabetha replied, before casually placing the light green skirt back, while still holding on to the dark green one. "Alright, I'll take this one then."

_Finally,_ Gilbert thought, as Elizabetha picked out some of the clothes that hung on his arm carefully.

"These ones are what I would want for sure," Elizabetha said as she held the clothing. "I just want to try them out. Can you be a dear and put back the rest for me? Thanks."

Before Gilbert could protest, Elizabetha bee lined towards the changing rooms in the back. Gilbert huffed, and without giving it a second thought, properly folded the clothes she left on his arms and placed it on a table nearby.

A pair had been standing nearby while this whole situation went down; one girl and one boy, around the same age as Gilbert. Gilbert could only assume they were a couple; the way the girl clung onto the boy's arms, with their hands clasped together could only signify so. Along with the quick peck the girl gave the boy a few moments ago.

If there's one thing Gilbert disliked was PDA- public display of affection. Especially from the girl-boy couples who were comfortable doing so. It was probably rooted from his jealousy of how they can be open with their sexuality without any serious backlash. Or, it was probably because he didn't want to vomit from the sight of people being mushy and lovey together.

"See?" The girl told her boyfriend, glancing over to Gilbert. "He listens to his girlfriend. Why can't you listen to me when I ask you to do something."

"But, babe," the boy started the protest, and Gilbert decided to tune out from their conversation.

He couldn't help but feel a weird sort of annoyance burn within him when he heard the girl call Elizabetha his girlfriend. Why can't he have a female friend without the entire world assuming they're together? Why did everyone assume his sexuality? It was enough to hear those comments at school; he didn't go out with his friends for people to assume they're together.

Elizabetha came back soon afterwards. She went on to happily purchase her new clothing, and with that, they decided to break for lunch. They made their way to the food court. Despite being a Sunday, it was early afternoon, and there weren't as many people present. They were able to find a spot quickly, and Elizabetha went to grab them food, while Gilbert waited at the table, staying guard over her bags. He took this opportunity to send a quick message.

_I wish I was with you_ , he initially typed, but quickly decided against it, and deleted the message. Instead, he sent, _Yo Birdie. What's up?_

_There,_ Gilbert thought happily. _That's an awesome conversation starter._

He heard his phone buzz after a minute, and his heart jumped in excitement.

Matthew: _Went to the bookstore to buy something  
You?_

Gilbert grinned stupidly, and started to type back.

Gilbert: _I'm with Eliza at the mall  
She wanted to do some shopping so I tagged along_

Matthew: _I didn't think you'd be the type to go shopping  
Did you give her some fashion advice?_

Gilbert: _Of course Birdie  
I'm the most fashionable person at school_

"Who are you texting?" Elizabetha asked cheerfully as she took the seat right across from Gilbert. She placed the tray she held in front of her, as she took a sip from some drink that was in her hand.

"What's that?" Gilbert asked, nodding at the drink. It was a light brown, with some round black balls on the bottom. Gilbert has seen the drink before, but never had a name for it, nor did he ever intend on trying it.

"Boba," Elizabetha said, handing the drink to him. "Bubble tea. Try it, it's actually really good!"

Gilbert took a small sip, taken back from the sweet liquid that was accompanied with the black ball. "What the fuck is this?"

"You mean the tapioca pearls?" Elizabetha said with a small chuckle, taking the drink back. "It's really something you grow to like I guess. I liked it right after tasting it. I never got around to drinking bubble tea back in Budapest, or even here last year, but there's a girl from Taiwan in the _Girls' Empowerment Group_ who took me and the girls out to try this out. I don't know if you know her thought. Her name's Mei. Mei Xiao? She's in first year, just like the person you're messaging right now."

Gilbert coughed a bit. "How did you-"

"How did I know?" Elizabetha interrupted, with a cheeky grin. "C'mon Gilbert; could you be anymore obvious? You were smiling to yourself like a creep when you were texting."

Gilbert didn't reply back to Elizabetha, not wanting to start an argument, but instead looked at her tray to steal some of her food to annoy her. He didn't see any fries or a burger; instead there was a plastic bowl, with a few sauce packs on the side, along with a plastic fork.

"What did you buy?" Gilbert asked. "Where are the fries?"

"If you wanted fries, go buy them yourself," Elizabetha scoffed as she opened the plastic bowl to reveal…

"A salad?" Gilbert said dumbfounded. "Are you serious Elizabetha? What are you, a rabbit?"

"There's chicken in here too," Elizabetha replied, rolling her eyes.

"If you wanted to eat grass, we could've went outside," Gilbert joked, before Elizabetha tossed him a small plastic bag, containing the fries Gilbert wanted.

"Maybe I just wanted to be healthy, Gilbert," Elizabetha snapped, slowly eating the salad. She didn't look happy about it, but she kept munching at a slow pace.

The way she was eating was odd. Gilbert noticed how she placed the napkin on her lap and neatly placed everything out, carefully eating each bite. Usually, she wouldn't care how she ate; Gilbert has witnessed Elizabetha scarf down an ice cream box on the bus in public before, not giving a single shit about the people that witnessed her display with odd looks.

Elizabetha has been behaving quite oddly this year, and Gilbert quickly took note of it the moment he saw her in her residential room before the school year started, right after she landed from Budapest, Hungary. The moment she opened the door to let Gilbert in, he immediately noticed the huge transformation she went through. Her eyebrows were properly trimmed, there was eyeliner was on her eyelids, along with a hint of pink lipstick on her lips. Her eyelashes grew longer, which Gilbert realised was just mascara.

There's more. For the first time from the day Gilbert knew her from last August, she was wearing…a dress. It was a green summer dress, tight around her torso, and flow up till her knees. Along with that, she was wearing these white sandals with a small heel at the back.

Even if Gilbert didn't swing that way, he knew that Elizabetha was definitely considered beautiful; hot even, from the way her dress hugged her. She had curves that weren't there. Puberty hit her like a bus.

Or, maybe it was just that she started to feminize how she appeared, which made her look drastically different. Elizabetha was never not attractive, Gilbert knew that when he first met her, but how she portrayed herself in Year 1 was completely different to this year.

From the months that he knew Elizabetha, he knew she was more into portraying herself more traditionally masculine; when he first met her, she had her hair short, and pulled it into a small ponytail. The way she walked was with the swagger of a guy, and the way she talked was rough. She prided herself with how muscular she was, and how she is the undefeated arm-wrestling champion. The word Gilbert would use to describe her is 'charming' rather than 'hot'.

This year, a few things were different. She decided to wear the uniform skirt than the pants, completely retiring the pants. She started to wear more makeup. She doesn't do as much muscle workouts with Gilbert like she used to, but rather sticks with cardio.

It wasn't wrong to do so; she could do whatever she wanted with her body. But Gilbert never understood why she suddenly changed like that. She was extremely comfortable with how she was before; he didn't understand why she was changing herself to be the way she is now. Especially when she used to complain about her mother wanting her to dress like the way she does now.

"Are you on a diet?" Gilbert asked bluntly, taking a bite from his fries. Elizabetha continued to chew on her salad, and swallowed with difficulty.

"Maybe," Eliza mumbled. "I've decided that I wanted to slim down a bit."

"Why? You're perfectly fine the way you are now."

"Not really. I want to lose some weight and I want to be more slim than muscular now. The muscle I had is shrinking, and now all I have some fat."

"But you're completely healthy," Gilbert said. "You eat right and you exercise. What's the problem Eliza?"

"It's nothing Gilbert, trust me," Eliza replied half-heartedly, taking a sip. "I'm just cutting down on unnecessary calories. It's not like I'm starving myself."

Gilbert looked at her unsure, but didn't press further. Instead, he changed subjects, "So why'd you bring me shopping again?"

"Because, you wanted to talk with me about something."

"Yeah, but we didn't have to go shopping. You could've went with that Polish friend of yours."

"Who, Feliks?" Gilbert grimaced.

Feliks Łukasiewicz was a third year international student from Poland. Both Feliks and Elizabetha were on the _Yearbook Committee_ during their first year; that's how the two initially met. Gilbert didn't know the details about how they started to talk to each other more - not that Gilbert really wanted to know. He found the Polish student to be quite annoying, with his lisp and the way he spoke reminded him of a valley girl.

It didn't help that Feliks was openly queer either; well, more like he was pushed out of the closet from a few assholes in his year. He started to wear skirts during the second semester during their first year, stirring up even more controversies amongst some students and the administration. Despite this, though, Feliks continues to be flamboyant and out there.

A part of his disliking for Feliks was this fact; how Feliks was unapologetic about his queerness and how happy he was being out of the closet. Most of his disliking, though, came from the type of person Feliks was. He was incredibly mouthy and sassy, not to mention really gossipy. Gilbert was never really into those types of people to begin with, and he was only acquainted to Feliks through Elizabetha.

"Yeah, that guy," Gilbert agreed, although his grimace remained.

"I would've, but I wanted to get this over with," Elizabetha said with a chuckle. "Besides, you actually do have good taste in clothes. Especially dresses. The amount of complement I got from that white dress you chose for me last time was more than for my other dresses."

"What can I say, I'm that awesome," Gilbert replied with a grin. Elizabetha rolled her eyes.

"I complement you once and you let it get to your head. Typical," Elizabetha said, continuing to eat her salad. She shifted subject, "But enough about that. What did you want to talk to me about? Wait, let me guess…it has to do with you love life?"

"Sure," Gilbert said, leaning back, trying to collect his thoughts. He was going to start to talk, before Elizabetha interrupted him.

"Wait," she interjected. "Before we get into it, I wanted to say. Remember how you said you had a crush on someone right? And you never told me."

Gilbert train of thought stopped immediately, and he felt the blood drain from his face. He still hasn't told Elizabetha about that crush, nor did he want to ever. As much as he trusts Elizabetha with these types of confidential information, this was the one information that he didn't want her to know. If she knew, he knew she'd make a big deal out of it, even thought he was 99.99% over his crush on this person. She has been bugging him about it every chance she could get, along with bugging about more information about his relationship with Matthew.

"Ye?" Gilbert managed to squeak out. _Please don't tell me you know who it is._

"I know who it is. Vash told me the other day," Elizabetha said, with a dead serious look on her face.

_Shit, Vash snitched on me?_ Gilbert thought. By the look on Elizabetha's face, Gilbert felt she couldn't be lying. He looked down, a bit in shame.

"Listen Eliza. Just because I had a crush on Roderich for a few months doesn't mean-" Gilbert started, but again he was interrupted by a very surprised Elizabetha.

"Wait, what?!" She exclaimed, leaning forward, her eyes wide open. "YOU HAD A CRUSH ON RODERICH?"

"Wait, whut," Gilbert said, dumb founded at her reaction, before piecing two and two together.

_Of course._ Elizabetha never knew who it was to begin with. She just set up a trap, and Gilbert completely fell for it. How unawesome.

"U-uh-"

"Why didn't you tell me you had a thing for Roderich?" Elizabetha exclaimed, before quickly frowing. "Our Roderich? You mean, Roderich Edelstein, right? Wait, when exactly did you like Roderich? That doesn't make sense; you only met him last year with me. Weren't you dating Lovino at that time-"

Elizabetha quickly realised she mentioned 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named'. Gilbert groaned. Now he had two things to explain to Elizabetha.

Yes, Gilbert did have a crush on Roderich Edelstein, the exact same one who hangs out with him, Elizabetha, and Vash. He liked the Austrian for exactly three months since meeting him; he met him during the end of August, right after meeting Elizabetha. He shared the same Science class as the boy, taught by Mr. Rangarajan. Most people would think a crush like that wouldn't really mean much; but when Gilbert liked someone, he gets really _really_ into them. For some strange reason, the moment he realises he had a crush on someone, he goes in for the kill, no matter what.

Of course, his crush ended on the young Austrian right after he found out the unfathomable truth; Roderich was as straight as an arrow. That, and he noticed how he might have had a small crush on Elizabetha during that time. He soon abandoned pining over him, as much as it hurt his heart at the time. Instead, he soon started to like somebody else, which ended up with him dating him.

This somebody else was, in fact, Lovino Vargas. _The_ Lovino Vargas. It's a familiar name in the academy, and for good reason; he was the eldest grandson of the academy's founder and principle- Romulus Vargas. Gilbert met Lovino when he moved to this town during the summer, when he was still thirteen, where he was going to spent the rest of the year being homeschooled. At that time, Lovino was 15, and he had finished his first year in the academy and was going to enter his second year.

Their relationship was kind of forced because their grandpas were good friends, but, surprisingly, they ended being friendly with one another; Gilbert later found out once he entered the academy that it is surprising for Lovino to be with friends with a male, since he tends to be much kinder and friendlier with his female peers. They were always civil with each other, even willing to be around one another, and this continued on until Gilbert entered the academy for his first year, and Lovino entered his third.

They didn't hang out much after that; Gilbert was busy hanging out with his usual trio, while being completely infatuated with Roderich. It wasn't until Gilbert forced himself to stop being around Roderich so he could wear of the effect he had on him for a bit that they started to see each. First it started off small, and then they started to proactively see each other during lunch. One thing led to another, and before Gilbert knew it, he was completely infatuated with Lovino.

They did end up going out, but even though they went out for almost the rest of the year, their relationship was on and off; and at the end, before summer vacation, they broke it off for good. One could only imagine how awkward it is when they see each other in the hallways, and one could only imagine how _painfully_ awkward it is when they had to see each due to their grandparents having dinner with one another.

"Yeah, yeah, that Roderich," Gilbert managed to say, still looking down, his face now turning slowly red for putting on the spot like that. "But I'm over it; I'm 100% over it, Eliza."

"Wait, you have to give me a timeline of when you did," Elizabetha said. To this, Gilbert explained precisely when he like Roderich, and then explained that he only started dating Lovino during January, towards the end of the first semester. After explaining this information as vaguely as he could, Eliza frowned a bit.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Elizabetha asked, sounding disappointed. "I mean, I know that we weren't as close as during that time, but it would've been nice to know that you had a thing for him…Now I feel kind of bad for having a crush on him. If I had known, I wouldn't even think about liking him-"

"Like I said, Eliza, I'm 100% over it," Gilbert sighed. "And Roddy's straight, so I never had a chance with him. What good would it is if you stopped liking him because of me? I've supported you being with him since you told me, you know that."

Which wasn't really true. At the time when Elizabetha told Gilbert, Gilbert's heart dropped at the thought of the two being together; he felt envious of the thought of Roderich being close with Elizabetha, and the thought of them hugging and kissing made his stomach turn. Now he didn't care about that; he was over him, and now he was into someone else.

"But still," Elizabetha mumbled, taking a sip of her boba, looking down. "I don't even know if he would like me anyways..."

"Are you crazy, Eliza?" Gilbert replied, taken aback. "You know he would be stupid _not_ to like you. He'd be lucky to be with someone like you."

"You think?"

"Trust me, Eliza, Roddy always had a thing for you since last year," Gilbert admitted, rolling his eyes. "I don't understand how you don't see it!"

"Last year?" Elizabetha scoffed. "When I dressed in pants and shirts? Yeah right. He like really femme girls."

"Is that why you're dressing up like that," Gilbert pointed out. He kind of had the idea that this was one of reasons why for her transformation. "All the makeup, and dresses? You're trying to impress him?"

"Well…no…" Elizabetha said, shifting uncomfortably. "I just decided I should be more…feminine. You know? What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing's wrong with it, but sometimes you don't look comfortable when you dress up like that."

"I do wear it once in a while last year!"

"Yeah, but that's different! You don't wear it everyday! The last time I saw you wear make up and a fancy dress was for semi!" Gilbert replied back. "Look; all I'm saying is that, if the reason you're going on a diet to 'slim' down and wearing all these things only to impress someone other than yourself, it's not worth the trouble. He should only like you for you. Which he should-"

"Since when were you so nice?" Elizabetha interrupted, although she smiled when she heard the last part. "You always call me your rival, and you never compliment me. Where's Gilbert, and what have you done with him?"

"Fine, I try to be nice just once," Gilbert rolled his eyes. "Fick dich."

"Thanks, fuck you too," Elizabetha smiled. "Anyways, we're here to talk about you. So, Gilbert."

"Yes, Eliza," Gilbert replied in the same formal tone, leaning in.

"Are you going to admit you like Matthew and want me to help you ask him out?"

"What? No," Gilbert sputtered at how direct she was. He felt his face heat up, and he slightly paused. There was a moment of silence between them, until Gilbert quietly said, "…Yeah. I do like him."

"I KNEW IT!" Elizabetha sang, shaking his arm. "I KNEW IT, I KNEWWW IT!"

"Alright, alright," Gilbert muttered. "You don't need to get excited over it-"

"Finally, you admit it. Vash owes me 10 dollars!" Elizabetha announced, taking her phone and quickly typing. Gilbert felt his phone buzz, and he checked it. They were all in a group chat online, which Gilbert mostly puts on mute, mostly because Elizabetha and Vash tend to spam them with shitty memes and whatnot. Elizabetha's screen name appeared ( **StalkerEliza** , the name a courtesy from Gilbert).

**StalkerEliza:** _VASH! I WIN! YOU OWE ME SOME CASH_

Vash's screen name suddenly came up ( **PennyPincher** , another name Gilbert came up with).

**PennyPincher** : _Fuck. When did that fucker tell you?_

**StalkerEliza:** _He just did~  
I expect it tomorrow during Science!_

"You made a bet with Vash?" Gilbert asked. He was slightly offended that his friends made a bet like that behind his back, but he was mostly surprised that Basch agreed to make a bet with someone. Much like his screen name suggests, he tends to avoid spending his money on useless things. Gilbert once found his monthly budget, and was teary-eyed at how conservative his spending was. He felt bad for his sister, who he knew wasn't handling the money that their father sends them from Switzerland.

"Yeah, amazing right?" Elizabetha laughed, while still typing a message to the group chat. "Roderich and I were talking about it after you introduced us to Matthew; I thought you did like him since you started to talk about him during the first week of class. Roderich disagreed, and Vash was neutral on it, obviously, but he was leaning to you _not_ liking him. He did the bet as a joke after meeting Matthew at the library, cause he seriously thought he was going to win; joke's on him, though!"

"For that long?" Gilbert mumbled, but he couldn't help but grin.

They first met near the end of September, but Elizabetha knew about Matthew since a week after Gilbert met him. He did often talk about him, referring to him as 'the kid that sits beside me in Math class', not wanting to drop any names right away. He knew that if he did, Elizabetha would try to find more information about him on her own.

It was now near the end of the second week of October. This entire time, Elizabetha knew he might have had a thing for Matthew. Gilbert wasn't sure if he should be embarrassed that this was topic that his group discussed behind his back. Was he that obvious?

"Mhm," Elizabetha replied, grinning. "Finally, you admit it. I was growing tired of waiting for you to say it. So, spill Gilbert; I wanna know everything."

"What is there to know?" Gilbert said. "It's just that I have a crush on him. What's the big deal? Why are you so excited."

"Because I think that you two would be so cute together," Elizabetha said, looking giddy. "You two already are- after meeting Matthew, I get why you like him. He's really cute; I guess that's your type?"

"Yeah, and there's so much more to him," Gilbert said, a stupid grin growing on his face as he envisioned Matthew in his mind. "He's so sweet and kind…He's sensitive, but the good kind…"

"He's a good student, really empathetic," Elizabetha replied, noticing the look on his face. "The complete opposite of you."

"Yeah, but he makes me feel all these things," Gilbert continued, more dazed. "And he has these pretty, big eyes…and when he smiles, I….ahh, I don't know what to do. He's like nobody I've been with or liked. He's so nice, and knows what he wants. He's serious, but he's fun to be around. He's smart, he's funny, and the more I know about him, he's really interesting and awesome, and he's so fucking cute, everything he does is cute, and I just feel like cherishing him and holding him, this is the only time I'm saying this Eliza, but I _need_ your help."

"Gilbert!" Eliza faux gasped. "You're asking _me_ for help? Me?" She picked up her phone. "Say that again! As you say, _mein gott_! This is the first time you've _asked_ me for help."

"Man, I'm fucking serious," Gilbert snapped. "I don't know what to do. It's torture being around him, because all I think about is how much I want him, and I see him often because he helps me in math and- holy shit, I'm going to be sitting beside him in Math class tomorrow-"

"Gilbert, calm down," Elizabetha said, gripping onto his arms, shaking him a bit. "Let's take this one step at a time. So you really _really_ like Matthew, right?"

"Yeah," Gilbert mumbled. "But…I don't want to…"

"Why not?"

"Because," Gilbert sighed. "Remember what I said? I like Roddy for a long while, only to find out he's straight. I just…I don't know if Matthew likes guys, you know?"

"Okay, but say that he does-"

"Please, it's not awesome to raise my hopes, Eliza."

"Listen! Say he does like guys; would you ask Matthew out."

"I mean," Gilbert started, leaning back. He had always found himself asking the other person out, even with Lovino, so if Matthew did like guys, he would ask him out. "Yeah, I'd ask him. But say he does, right; I don't know if he'd even consider dating me-"

"That stuff is some extra stuff. The main point I'm getting at is that you like Matthew so much you would ask him out. You want to date Matthew."

"Uh-"

"You wanna hold hands and hug him and kiss-"

"My god, Eliza, I do, but not right away, but yeah, all that shit," Gilbert said, turning slightly red. He can't believe how flustered he was becoming. Since when did he get all embarrassed when talking about who he found attractive to Eliza? Usually he'd say it all calmly and cool, with confidence. 

"So this isn't even a crush," Elizabetha said. "You fell for Matthew hard."

"…" Gilbert didn't respond, but he didn't want to admit that he liked Matthew way more than he thought he was. So not awesome.

"So much," Elizabetha continued, a sudden mischievous look in her eyes. "That if Matthew were into guys _and_ he does like you back…you'd ask him out?"

"Already my chances with Matthew is really low with those factors," Gilbert mumbled, placing a hand on his forehead. "Don't forget other factors that might effect whether he says yes; the fact that Kirkland hates me and his brother is out to get me."

"What can they do?" Elizabeth shook her head. "They'd probably not like it, but I doubt they'd try to sabotage you guys going out. And Mr. Kirkland probably only hates you because of how you were last year, and even I have to admit Gilbert, I like you way more this year than last year."

"Why?" Gilbert asked, a bit offended.

"Cause, you are way better now," Elizabetha said softly. "You used to get into fights for the hell of it, you used to skip class to do things, you didn't even try at life. I'm not that now you don't but I mean, every since you met Matthew, you've been way…nicer. You were kind of like that at the end of last year, but now I'm noticing how much kinder you are."

"That's great," Gilbert said rolling his eyes.

"In a good way. I'm not trying to say you're a coward," Elizabetha said. "And I'm not saying you weren't worse when you were with Lovino; he softened you up too. I'm just saying you're more…considerate than before. That, and your grades are up, mostly due to your lovely Birdie."

"Don't call him that ever," Gilbert replied sharply. "And yeah, I guess; I just don't want to disappoint or hurt Matthew. He's just…too innocent."

"Yeah, he is, I can tell," Elizabetha sighed. "He has that innocence of someone who is too pure. That might be another reason for Mr. Kirkland to be overprotective of him. _But_ if he does find out how good you are now, maybe he might change his mind?"

"This is so not awesome," Gilbert moaned.

"Let's take this one step at a time," Elizabetha said, looking like he was going to lay out a game plan. "First, we need to know if Matthew is into guys. Easy, right?"

"Wait, _we_?"

"Yeah, _we_ ," Elizabetha replied. "I might hate your guts sometimes, but that's only cause I'm comfortable being mean to you."

"Gee, thanks."

"Besides, you're my closest friend, and you always give me advice and help me out, so I'm obviously going to help you get together with Matthew. Anyways, my main goal right now is to figure out if Matthew likes guys. That Phase I of our plan. It would take me about two to three weeks to figure it out…"

"That long? What happened to your stalker friends? Can't they find out?"

"Yeah, but all the Intel we got about him are basic things that you can easily see. The only thing that we dug up was he's Mr. Kirkland's kid," Elizabetha mumbled. "That, and Matthew is a quiet guy; nobody even notices him, unless you pay attention. There's literally no gossip about him. The closest thing is that he hangs out with you, but nobody really remembers his face or name. I need to get close to him and get it out of him. Do you know what his schedule is like?"

"Uh, he has Business in the morning, then French. After lunch, he has Gym with Mr. Lars."

"So third floor, second floor, and the gym or the track," Elizabetha mumbled, concentrating. "I have History on the first floor, but I am taking a Business class on the third floor. I might be able to bump into him a few times, if I can spot him."

"What is bumping into him going to do?"

"So he's familiar with me," Elizabetha said. "Maybe we can see him during lunch too. Is he on a team for volleyball intramurals? If not, make sure that he does with his friends; there's still time to sign up. They start this week, but I know they're looking for more teams for the day we're playing. I'm messaging my friend, Michelle, about it. She's part of the _Athletic Association_."

"I don't think he is. By the way, who's on the team again? And when are we playing?" Gilbert asked, taking Elizabetha's drink as she continued to talk.

"We're playing on Thursdays. There's room for two more teams that day, so I'll wait for her response…Oh! That was fast!" Elizabetha said, looking at her screen, before quickly typing. "Our team is obviously me, you, Roddy, and Vash. Since we need one teacher, we managed to get Mr. Janssen, thanks to Vash."

"We're definitely going to win," Gilbert grinned when he heard that last part. 

"We got the two third year students, Matthias and Lukas."

"I thought Matthias wasn't going to do it at first?" 

Matthias Kohler and Lukas Bondevik were both third year students attending the academy, both being foreign students from Denmark and Norway respectively. Gilbert knew Matthias from his times assisting the janitor or teacher by cleaning and running errands (the school's form of punishment).

Matthias was usually sent for being consistently late to homeroom and skipping classes. They were on friendly terms, and they enjoyed their time together cracking jokes and doing dumb stunts together while they carried out their punishment. It was Matthias who suggested Gilbert to join the ice hockey and soccer team where Matthias was already a player, with Gilbert choosing the latter during the spring season.

"Wasn't he banned from sports if he didn't join a club?" Gilbert asked.

This year, the school administration decided to implement a new rule that requires students to do an extracurricular activity throughout the year (not including a sport). This was to expand students mind to be more well rounded, rather than sticking to just one area to excel in, and to give them more exposure to other potential talents. This posed an issue to those who mostly did sports and those who didn't do anything at all.

In Matthias' case, he was only in sports; he was on the swimming team during the fall season along with Elizabetha, the ice hockey team during the winter, and the soccer team that Gilbert joined during the spring, along with the intramural games that happens once per week during lunch.

"Yeah, since they've implemented that rule of mandatory club activity, he's been begging all these clubs to claim he's apart of it, but he didn't want to do the work," Elizabetha replied, chuckling. "But Lukas told me that he spoke to Mr. Vargas and said he was forming a band, and that counts as an club, sort of. Apparently Mr. Vargas was completely okay it!"

"Romulus is an awesome guy," Gilbert smirked. "Of course he'd be fine with it. But a band? Really? Maybe we should form one too."

"We could, but do you know how to play an instrument other than the flute?"

"I know how to play guitar too," Gilbert rolled his eyes. "So we got six people so far, but don't we need two more people."

"Oh yeah," Elizabetha slurred. "About that…so we have Vash's sister, Lillian and…her friend…Natalya Arlovskaya."

"That name sort of rings a bell…" Gilbert said unsurely.

"Uh, Ivan's sister?" Elizabeth said quickly, trying to smile.

"No, not him," Gilbert grumbled. "Now I remember. Vash was worried about Lillian hanging out with _her_."

"For god sake, Gilbert, you're not going to see him," Elizabetha sighed. "And don't assume Natalya is like that. Her and Lillian are apart of the girl group with me, and she's actually really quiet. She tends to space out and she's really polite. Vash is neutral with her still, but I think you'd get along with her."

"Yeah, yeah," Gilbert muttered. "As long as she's not like Ivan."

"Obviously they won't be, they're their own people even if they are siblings. It's like thinking you and Ludwig would be the same since you two are brothers." Elizabetha shook her head. "Anyway, back to Matthew."

"Yes, I'll talk to him about intramurals. Anything else?" Gilbert sighed.

"Nothing other than keep spending time with him. This is Phase I of getting you two together. We need a name for this operation…how about ' **Operation: Get Matthew and Gilbert Together** '?"

"Sure, whatever you like."

"That settles it! We'll start tomorrow!" Elizabetha exclaimed, raising a fist to the air.

The logic side of Gilbert's brain thought this would be a total disaster and he's going to end up heartbroken. His heart, however, leapt at the thought of this operations succeeding.

And so, **Operation: Get Matthew and Gilbert Together** has officially begun.


	19. Sign Ups

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there readers! I'm surprised by the reception from the last chapter - there was nothing against that Prumano~ Lovino will not be an antagonist in their romance, if that's something you guys were wondering (I could never do that honestly)?
> 
> This chapter is the bridge to the Operation; the next few chapters will be more fun, and a side of romance (although I think that's a lot of the chapters). I'm sorry, I love the idea of characters interacting together xD
> 
> Anyways, thank you so much for liking, following, and reading the story so far! And thank you so so much for the comments! It makes me all giddy when you guys comments (and sometimes theories) lol xD
> 
> Now, onto this chapter!

Matthew went out to the bookstore near his place the next morning to see if there was anything new. He did sleep late the night before because he had invited Gilbert to come over and talk things out until he was ready to go home, but he managed to wake up early.

Matthew knew he could easily save money by borrowing it from the public or school library, so he chose a few new titles and went back home, nothing to do in particular. He had already finished all his homework and readings, and he didn’t have much to do at home.

Francis was asleep, and Matthew knew that he would be at work again tonight, so Matthew decided to go to Arthur’s place and stay there with Alfred. The rest of the day was spent mostly stopping Alfred from procrastinating with his Spanish homework, until the evening.

Arthur had decided to stay in, an unexpected surprise for the brothers. Usually, his father would try to sneak in a meeting with his boyfriend in the evening, but ever since the beginning of the semester, they often overhear Arthur arguing with his lover over the phone, and it always ended with them cancelling plans. It was both annoying, yet entertaining, the latter mostly to Alfred, who would take score over how many times Arthur would say bloody more than once in the same sentence.

It was almost time for dinner, and the brothers were now attempting to cook dinner for the three of them, while Arthur was, correcting some work from his students. Arthur was going to cook, but let’s be honest; most of the food he makes ends up being burnt and bland, and the boys wanted to avoid that at all cost.

“I don’t understand,” Matthew started, as he opened one of the top cupboards in the kitchen. “How could we have all these spices and Dad never use a single one of them when he’s cooking?”

“It’s just a British thing,” Alfred joked, their laptop sitting on the counter top. He was currently looking for potential recipes that they could make. “You know: being amazed by spices, slowly invading countries by trade, and then never using them in their cooking.”

“I like how you’ve been paying attention to grade 8 History,” Matthew replied.

“I can hear you, you know,” Arthur said from the dining table. “Are you sure you boys are alright? I’m worried you might-”

“Dad, for the fifth time, we’re not going to burn the house down. Calm down,” Alfred replied.

“Don’t tell me to calm down,” Arthur quickly pointed out, and as Alfred rolled his eyes, he said, “And don’t you dare roll your eyes at me.”

Matthew was still looking through the cupboards for potential ingredients, noticing a few boxes of Kraft Dinner in the corner. “Did you find anything good?”

“These are all a lot of work,” Alfred replied. “Who has time to dice all these vegetables? Why don’t we just make fries?”

“We can easily make mac’n’cheese too,” Matthew said, his voice more of whisper so Arthur could hear, shaking the carton he held as he closed the cupboard.

“No, put whatever instant crap you two found in the cupboard,” Arthur said. “You’ve had enough junk for a week.”

“Dad, you said you wouldn’t interfere,” Matthew replied softly, trying not to sound whiny.

“Yeah, Dad, cut us some slack,” Alfred said. “If you want, we’ll make steamed veggies too…and we’ll be sure to actually put salt and pepper that you can actually taste.”

“At least it’s better than the burgers I know you’ve been buying for lunch,” Arthur said, leaning back into his chair. From where he sat on the dining table, he could see into the kitchen through the door, and the boys could see him.

“How about we just make pasta?” Matthew softly said, as Alfred and Arthur started going back and forth with their light insults to each other. He went to get the needed ingredients for spaghetti and meatballs. Due to not having meatballs, they had to improvise and use chopped up hotdogs, on Alfred’s suggestion.

Matthew was originally responsible for making the pasta while Alfred did the sauce with the hot dogs, Matthew ended up finishing both when Alfred strayed away and started to go on his phone, a coke in hand. Arthur didn’t even notice because he was too occupied trying to correct his students' papers and organize his teaching plan. But, Matthew wouldn’t complain – he always found cooking enjoyable and comforting. Plus, now that he had full control over the food, he could make it to taste adequate; in reality, the brothers had bad taste buds like Arthur, with Matthew’s being the best of the three. He can leave it up to Alfred to decorate the food however he liked.

As Matthew was draining the pasta, his phone suddenly went off on the countertop, right beside Alfred, who was near the doorway.

“Alfred what did I say about phone calls at this time?” Arthur said, looking up from his work, before realising it wasn’t Alfred’s phone.

Alfred and Matthew made eye contact with one another, before looking at the phone. The ringer stopped, but the sound of a message notification went off.

“Can you not?” Matthew protested, but it was too late – Alfred was squinting at his screen. After scanning the screen, he looked up to Matthew.

“Why’s he texting you at this time?” Alfred mocked, walking out the door holding the phone out of Matthew’s reach, near Arthur.

Matthew knew exactly what Alfred was attempting to do. There was no way he was going to let him expose the fact that he’s been hanging out with Gilbert most of the time. They both knew Arthur was not fond of Gilbert from the subtle aggressive things he would say, but neither never tried to pry specific details about him. They also knew that Arthur would not approve if either of them were to be hanging out with him regularly.

“Who is texting Matthew?” Arthur asked, intrigued at this fact, now paying full attention.

They all knew Matthew didn’t have friends in middle school (all were acquaintances), and so it was rare for Matthew to ever be on his phone, messaging people. The only people he would use his phone to contact were Alfred, Arthur, Francis, and occasionally, _Pizza Pizza_ , and that was through calling.

“Just a friend,” Matthew quickly said, trying to grab the phone, but to no avail.

“The ones I see you two with during lunch?” Arthur pressed, looking a bit amused.

“Nah, they don’t text, we have a group chat online,” Alfred replied, dodging Matthew’s grabby hands. He then looked over at Arthur, saying, “Dad, think fast!”

Alfred finally tossing his phone into Arthur’s lap. Matthew quietly gasped, and said a quick prayer in his head as Arthur looked at his phone screen.

“Don’t,” Matthew said meekly, and Arthur’s amused face quickly turned into a very serious look. He looked at Matthew, his green eyes looking into his soul, an eyebrow being raised.

“Does Gilbert know you shouldn’t be talking on the phone on school nights,” Arthur finally asked, but it sounded more like a statement.

“W-well, technically, you made that rule for Alfred,” Matthew mumbled, feeling his face turn red, looking to the side, glaring at Alfred, who looked like he was enjoying the show.

 _Screw you_ , Matthew said in his head, to which Alfred smile widened.

 _Harsh. I told you not to hang out with him_ , Alfred replied, as he leaned against the sofa’s arm nearby.

“Well, this rule also applies to you Matthew,” Arthur said calmly, seeming like he came back to his kindness senses, his features softening. “And I thought you were only helping him with Math?”

 _Oh no_ , Matthew thought, feeling the air of the room change. He knew what was going to come; questions. Lots and lots of questions. Which, Matthew would have to answer in detail; and an English teacher’s version of this would be a full essay for each question. Matthew has witnessed this when it happens to Alfred; it was always Alfred who would have to endure this torture. Matthew only had to do it once, when he accidentally broke a vase when he was in grade 3, and since then he has avoided causing any sort of trouble.

“Yes,” Matthew said slowly and softly. He may not argue his point like how Alfred does– loudly and brashly – but he gets his point across much better than him in a rational way.

“However,” Matthew continued at a steady pace, noticing that Alfred was trying not to laugh out loud. “I started to talk to him more during Math class and we’ve been hanging out as friends for a while.”

“Friends?” Arthur repeated, leaning forward. “So, you’re friends with Gilbert?”

“Yes.”

“And you hang out with him often? Only during lunch, I assume?”

“…Mostly. Sometimes after school.”

“Where do you two usually hang out?”

“Here and there at school,” Matthew lied, trying to be a bit vague. The rooftop could be considered to be amongst the places he didn’t specify, but if he were lucky, Arthur wouldn’t press on.

“For example?” _Shoot._

“Hallways,” Matthew quickly said. “Library sometimes. Sometimes the field. Sometimes at home-“

“You’ve invited him to our place?” Arthur asked, and although he said it in a kind way, there was even more tension in the room. Matthew gulped.

“Papa’s place,” Matthew replied. “Just once. And only after school.” _And late nights._ At that thought of last night, Matthew felt his heart pick up pace.

“Okay,” Arthur said slowly. “So what do you two do together?”

“Just hang out. I usually help him with Math. We just…chill.”

“Chill,” Arthur repeated.

“Yep,” Matthew said.

“Okay, so clarify this for me love,” Arthur nodded, looking down at the screen. Matthew knew he should’ve privatized the message so that the actual message didn’t show.

Arthur continue, “I might be behind the times, but do friends usually give each other nicknames like… ‘Cutie’?”

 _I want to die_ , Matthew thought, taken aback by the nicknames and he felt like he might faint hearing that from his own Dad’s mouth.

“ ‘Hey Cutie, you got a minute?’ semicolon, ending parenthesis,“ Arthur read, a grimace on his face as he looked at Matthew. “Are you sure you’re just friends? Don’t lie to me Matthew. I see you with that boy often-”

“I can’t!” Alfred busted out in a fit of laughter suddenly, interrupting the tense atmosphere as he fell back onto the sofa, gasping between his cackles. “Oh my god, I should’ve video taped this!”

“Dad, it’s a joke,” Matthew groaned, as he covered his red face with the sleeves of his hoodie. “He’s says stupid stuff like that a lot. We’re not together; we’re just friends.”

“Friends,” Arthur scoffed. Matthew glanced up to Arthur, expecting him to be red in anger, but he looked more sad than angry.

“Quit your laughing,” Arthur quickly snapped when Alfred laughter got louder. “What about you Alfred? Are you seeing anyone too?”

“I’m not seeing him,” Matthew moaned.

“H-huh,” Alfred sighed, as he wiped away a tear. “No I’m not seeing anyone yet-”

“But he does have a crush on someone,” Matthew blurted out, as a way to take revenge on Alfred for exposing him to Arthur. Alfred face dropped, and he started to turn slightly pink.

“N-No? What are you saying bruh!” Alfred exclaimed, leaning close to Matthew. “No I don’t.”

Matthew continued, “He’s always trying to impress someone-“

“BRO!” Alfred exclaimed, attempting to cover what Matthew said. “Stop distracting Dad, he was asking you questions!”

“He was done asking me questions-“

“No, I’m not,” Arthur grumbled, rubbing the side of his temple at their loud voices, but Matthew chose to ignore him. He then said in a louder voice when the two kept bickering, “Alright enough you two! Stop fighting!”

“He started it!” Matthew and Alfred exclaimed at the same time, both looking at Arthur. There was a slight pause as Arthur looked at them, before he sighed.

“Both of you,” Arthur said, as he got out of his chair and walked towards them. “On the couch – now.”

Matthew stuck his tongue at Alfred as he sat next to him on the couch, while Arthur followed, giving Matthew his phone back before sitting on the second couch on the side of the wall.

Matthew glanced down to his phone, reading the messages.

 **Gilbert:** Hey cutie, you got a minute? ;)  
Lol, it’s nothing important, but I just wanted to ask you something  
Text me asap

 _I’ll message his later_ , Matthew thought, before he looked up to look at Arthur, who cleared his throat.

“Yes, so,” Arthur started. “Matthew.”

“Dad.”

“I’m just going to be blunt and not passive aggressive,” Arthur said, taking a sip from his teacup. “I’m not sure if you hanging out with Gilbert is the brightest idea.”

“Why?” Matthew asked softly, already knowing the answer.

“Helping him with math work is different, that I was completely fine with,” Arthur continued, the same even tone. “Ms. Khemet already informed me about it, and I didn’t think much about it. However, I do see you with Gilbert often at school and…to be frank, I’m worried about you. I’m worried he would be…a bad influence.”

“So is it true he shot up heroine in the bathroom in first year?” Alfred suddenly asked, seeing an opportunity to pry.

“He what?” Arthur asked, looking at Alfred, confused. “Where did you hear that from?!”

“Just a stupid rumour, Dad,” Matthew waved it off, but Alfred pressed on.

“What about the science lab? I heard he set off an explosion last year.”

“W-well,” Arthur stammered. “We’re not sure if he did, but he was a likely suspect. It was between him and another boy he always fights with – we're getting off topic!"

"I knew it," Alfred whispered, glancing over to Matthew.

“Dad, I’m fine with him, really. He’s really nice,“ Matthew started, but Arthur cut him off.

“Alright, listen Matthew. Maybe it’s because I was his teacher and how you see him is different, but I’m saying this as someone who knows him longer than you. He was very troublesome before coming here, and he still is. I don’t know if he suddenly changed, however, I know his personality pretty well,” Arthur sighed. “He’s very about himself, and temperamental. That’s just a given fact about him, and I’m sure you know that too.”

Matthew bit his bottom lip, trying hard not to seem too defensive of Gilbert.

“He got into a lot of fights that he usually instigates than not,” Arthur continued. “And even thought Alfred was off with the heroine, he did go through… some substance abuse.”

“Okay…” _I already knew that._

“What I’m trying to say is that, I don’t want you to be influenced into doing anything you usually wouldn’t do. Okay?” Arthur replied. “I’m not going to stop you from being around him, I just want you to be careful and safe.”

“Yes, Dad,” Matthew replied in a cool tone, not bothering to argue, and instead just nodded and smiled.

“There’s nothing else right?” Arthur said. “You’re not dating him? If you are, well, I’d advise against it-“

“No, nothing is going on.”

“Okay, good,” Arthur exhaled deeply, leaning back into the couch.

“Wait, that’s it?” Alfred asked, looking alarmed.

“What do you mean, 'that's it'?” Arthur replied, raising an eyebrow.

“That’s all you were gonna say? You always chew me out, I thought you’d do that to Mattie-“

“Matthew isn’t like you,” Arthur interrupted. “He’s much more mature than you are, and he actually listens-“

“Yo that’s not fair!”

“And he doesn’t INTERRUPT me! Besides, I thought that in the case that Matthew was seeing someone, that I would take it upon myself to…explain some things to you two,” Arthur replied, coughing at the last part, and Matthew noticed him blushing. “I know you will be learning it with Lars soon, but I wasn’t sure if you already addressed it yet-“

“Eww noo,” Alfred exclaimed, covering his ears. “I don’t want to hear you explaining sex to us!”

“You could’ve just said the birds and the bees!” Arthur exclaimed, his face now red with embarrassment, as he got up. “But just so you know, I don’t want you doing anything in my flat! And if you do decide to do it, at least do it safely! Also, I don’t want to hear from anyone else that they found you doing something with someone that you wouldn’t tell me!”

“Oh god, gross,” Matthew mumbled, covering his face again, as Alfred started to say ‘la la la’ repeatedly until Arthur stopped talking.

“That’s all!” Arthur sighed as he walked back to his place on the dining table. “Go back to cooking- Wha. What’s that burning smell?”

“Shit, the sauce,” Matthew whispered, getting up, but instead Alfred said the same thing in a louder voice.

“Shit, the sauce!”

“Hey! No swearing in my fucking flat,” Arthur yelled back as Alfred scurried to the kitchen.

While Arthur and Alfred were preoccupied with saving the pasta sauce, Matthew took out his phone to answer his phone. He took a good two minutes to think of what to message back and took two more minutes to review the message he had on his phone.

 **Matthew:** Hey sorry, was making dinner lol

After sending that message, Gilbert replied right away.

 **Gilbert:** Damn Birdie, you know how to cook?  
How bout you make me lunch tomorrow :P

 **Matthew:** Haha no it's okay  
Anyways, whats up? What did you wanna ask

 **Gilbert:** Nothing important.  
Just wondering if you were doing intramurals

 **Matthew:** Intramurals? I don’t think so  
Alfred mentioned it to my friends but I thought it was too late to sign up

 **Gilbert:** Nah, Eliza told me they still want ppl  
I can ask her to save a slot for you and your friends, if ya want

 **Matthew:** I’ll ask them tomorrow if I can  
I’m assuming youre doing it too?

 **Gilbert:** lol yeah, but it’s not big deal if you don’t want to   
It would be un awesome if you don't  
Just saying

 _If you want me to be there, just tell me_ , Matthew thought, although he didn’t mind this subtlety. He felt that weird feeling in him, but he stopped himself quickly.

 _Don’t do this to yourself_ , Matthew thought, taking a deep breathe. _Don’t like him, please._

But even Matthew knew he couldn’t deny it much longer.

* * *

 

Matthew wasn’t prepared to go back to school Monday. Alfred and Arthur managed to save the food somehow, and they were able to eat a proper dinner that night. Matthew and Alfred stayed a bit late that night, but they had to go to Alfred’s room to do so; Arthur was still up correcting his students’ work.

Most of the night was spent talking – most catching up on classes, complaining about something that happened, etc. Alfred told Matthew in detail about Arthur’s argument with Percy Jackson; apparently, it’s not getting better.

Alfred made a bet that they’d break up in by the time October ended. Matthew thought the same, from the sound of it, but didn’t express it to Alfred. Knowing Alfred, if he felt he had some sort of support, he would find a way to make sure whatever he thought would happen is going to happen, whether or not it was going to happen.

The conversation then touched on Gilbert, thought Matthew was able to shut it down by telling Alfred that he was wondering if they were doing the volleyball intramurals at school. Alfred was stocked about this idea, and he agreed that he’d sign up if the others did too.

And so, Monday morning the two went to the school. Alfred sent out a message on the group chat they shared with the boys from their Gym class, with all of them agreeing to sign up. Kiku and Yong Soo, however, said that their cousin already asked them to join his team. Alfred decided to go find Kiku to convince him otherwise.

“You want me to come with you?” Matthew asked as Alfred started walking down the hall to his homeroom. “Class starts in 30 minutes, so I have time.”

“It’s okay, dude, I can convince him by myself,” Alfred replied quickly, a weird grin on his face. “Hey, I’ll meet up with you during lunch okay? We can sign up together.”

“Yeah, later Alfred,” Matthew said, waving a bit. Have fun with your boyfriend, he wanted to say, but he bit his tongue. It still wasn’t the right time to ask Alfred specifically about Kiku.

All Alfred would talk about was Kiku last night, after covering their Dad’s dilemma with his boyfriends. _Kiku this, Kiku that…_ Matthew found it a bit annoying, but also found it enduring seeing his brother talk like that. Whenever he really liked someone, he’d always bring it up with Matthew, so he was used to it. But the sexuality thing is obviously a hurdle for Alfred at the moment; Matthew had to wait for Alfred to come to him about it before he could find more information.

Matthew waited outside his Business class as per usual, until he went inside when it was almost time for class. Sitting beside his usual seat beside Ravis, and after the school’s _Radio Crew_ finished with the usual announcements, Ms. Mona stood in front of the class, a sheet in hand.

“Good morning,” she said, pushing up her glasses as she scanned the classroom. “Did everyone have a good weekend?”

The students collectively groaned.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Ms. Mona smiled softly. “Before we start today’s lesson, I was asked to review this new policy that the school has decided to enforce. They started it at the beginning of class, but since this is your first year in this institution, the administration wanted to wait until you were all adjusted during the first month. Firstly, we will be holding an election for first year representatives at the end of the month. If any of you are interested, please go to room 104, which is on the first floor in the Social Studies wing tomorrow after school. The teacher supervisor for the student council is Ms. Naidoo; she’ll give you details in tomorrow’s meeting.”

“Secondly,” she continued, looking at the list in her hand. “This year the school has decided that extracurricular activities are mandatory for all students – and no, this does not include sports teams or intramurals.”

The class collectively groaned. Matthew didn’t know how to feel about this new rule.  
He did intend on doing one or two sports, but he never thought about joining a club or anything of that sorts.

“Here are a list of acceptable extracurricular activities,” Ms. Mona said, waving a hand at the corner of the blackboard where some papers were taped up. “Some of you already are in a club, so I won’t bother you. However, for those who haven’t, I will need you to join one by the end of this week. I need to note down what club you’re in and send it to the administration. Any questions?”

Oh bother, Matthew thought tiredly, leaning back into his chair. He really shouldn’t have stayed up that late.

“Are you in anything, Ravis?” Matthew asked, attempting to not fall asleep. The Latvian boy looked like he was about to fall asleep too, his face blank.

“Y-Yes, actually,” Ravis said quickly, realizing Matthew was talking to him. He then grinned sheepishly. “I’m actually in the school’s Choir. I might be auditioning for the musical this year…”

“You sing?” Matthew asked, a bit in awe. He didn’t expect this from Ravis; the boy was usually too scared to talk out loud. Matthew wondered how he was when he’s singing.

“Y-yes,” Ravis laughed, glancing away. “My mom forced me to sing in the church’s choir when I was younger, so I had years of practicing. Now I just do it because I like it, but I’m not as amazing as others. My voice is really mediocre.”

 _And that’s code word for I’m amazing_ , Matthew thought, thought he smiled. “No way, I’m sure you’re great! I’d love to hear you sing. When are the auditions for the musical?”

“There is a meeting this tomorrow, and auditions start next week,” Ravis replied, before his eyes sparkled a bit. “Hey maybe you should audition too!”

“No, it’s okay, I’m not good on the stage,” Matthew chuckled, fidgeting at the thought of having to get on stage in front of so many people. Speaking in front of a crowd was already a problem with him, so singing was a no-no.

“Or you could help with the behind the scenes stuff,” Ravis said. “Like costumes and makeup. Sign up for that is tomorrow too, so maybe you can do that?”

“I’ll see if I can come,” Matthew replied. He wouldn’t mind doing that stuff. Maybe he can even join the Stage Crew – the ones who handle the sound and the lights on the stage.

“Yes, so today, I’ll be introducing some actual Business stuff; beginning with Management,” Ms. Mona said, and the two had to stop their conversation.

The period drawled on, and soon it was time for second period. Matthew told Ravis he’d see him tomorrow, and Matthew made his way to the second floor, to the language hall. He walked down the stairs and merged with the wave of students bustling about, trying to move down the hallway. He managed to break free from the main crowd, and started to walk down the Language wing when suddenly. He kept his head down thought, and he didn’t pay much attention until he accidently bumped right into someone, making them drop their textbooks.

“I’m so sorry!” Matthew exclaimed, as he bent down to pick up the textbook. The students that were in the hall walked around him and the other person, and Matthew was thankful he had space to breathe.

“It’s alright,” said a light voice that Matthew immediately recognized. “Wait…Matthew?”

Matthew looked up, and he smiled when he saw the person’s face. He got up with the textbook in his hand, while saying softly, “Elizabetha, right?”

“Ah so it is you,” Elizabetha replied, a kind smile on her face. She accepted the textbook from Matthew, while laughing. “Sorry, it was my fault. I didn’t see you!”

“Yeah, I get that often,” Matthew joked, thought there was a lot of truth to it.

“I didn’t mean it in a rude way,” Elizabetha said, as she ushered Matthew to one side of the hallways, as to not get in other people’s way. “It’s just that I usually see you with Gilbert, and it’s easy to spot him; you know, the annoying voice and white hair and all.”

“Yeah, well I’m only with him during lunch and last period,” Matthew replied. He didn’t want to brush off Elizabetha, fearing that he might seem rude, so he decided to have a quick talk with her. It won’t kill him to talk to more people that he somewhat knows. “What class did you have?”

“Ugh, I have History with Ms. Naidoo for homeroom,” Elizabetha said, holding up the textbook that she dropped. “You won’t have her for anything this year, but you’d probably have her for History. She’s not that bad of a teacher, but she’s tough. What about you?”

“I had Business with Ms. Mona,” Matthew replied.

“Ooh, the new teacher,” Elizabetha grinned. “She’s really nice, but I’ve only seen her during Yearbook Committee meeting; she’s the new advisor for this club. Hey, maybe you should join! We could use some more people working on the layout!”

“I guess, but I’m not into that; all that stuff is mostly for my brother,” Matthew declined politely.

“Hmm, but I was guessing you weren’t already in a club,” Elizabetha replied, with a sigh. “Oh well. It was worth to ask. But you are doing volleyball intramurals, right? Gilbert told me he asked you, but I wanted to make sure!”

“Yeah, I’m going to sign up a team during lunch.”

“Alright!” Elizabetha said happily, clasping her hands together. “I managed to save a spot with my friend, Michelle. She’ll be at the sign up table in the Foyer. Make sure you talk to her, and tell her you were sent by me, okay?”

“I’ll be sure to do that,” Matthew replied, before noticing that the hallways were already emptying out. “I’m sorry Elizabetha, but I have French right now, and I think class is about to start.”

“Ahh, you first year are so cute,” Elizabetha chuckled at Matthew’s worried face. “You’ll start not caring about going to class late eventually. I’ll see you around, then, Matthew!”

With that Elizabetha walked away with a small wave, towards the set of doors leading to the staircase.

* * *

“Heyo, dude! How was French?”

“We watched _Les Miserables_. How was Spanish?”

“Boring like always. Mr. Gomez was going over conjugations with us again! Why can’t we just watch _telenovelas_ in class?”

French class flew by easily for Matthew. Mr. Nzie decided to pull out the projector and put on a film, as Matthew told Alfred. But Matthew managed to only watch the first few minutes before laid on his arms and falling asleep. Luckily he woke up just as the bell rang for lunch.

“So how many people can we have on a team?” Alfred asked as the two made their way to the Foyer. They met up right after class, their classrooms being located in the same wing.

“For volleyball, it’s usually six people on the court. Then we have to switch, so I guess around 9?” Matthew said, unsure.

“So it’s us,” Alfred said, using his fingers to count. “Feliciano, Ludwig, Emile, Berwald, Tino, and Carlos.”

“What happened to Kiku and Yong Soo?” Alfred sort of frowned.

“No go. Without them, their cousins wouldn’t have a team, so it’s just us,” Alfred replied, before realising something. “Bro. Don’t we need a teacher? And it can’t only be guys right.”

“I forgot about that,” Matthew mumbled, entering the foyer. “Do we need to write them down on the spot?”

“It’s okay dude, if they don’t, I’ll just use my good looks to save us a spot,” Alfred grinned.

“We already have a spot, apparently,” Matthew replied, remembering what Elizabetha told him. “Elizabetha told me to tell a girl name Michelle that she sent me.”

“Who’s Elizabetha?” Alfred asked, before looking at the sign up table. His face lit up and he exclaimed, “Hey, Michelle, Demonté! You’re in charge of this?”

Matthew looked over to where Alfred was looking; there sat a girl and a boy, both around their age, behind the table with some sheets laid out in front of them. The girl had glowing brown skin, with long straight hair dark brown hair pulled up by two red ribbons and big brown eyes. She was evidently smaller than the boy that sat beside her. He had dark brown skin, and his black curly hair was cut as a faded undercut. Matthew recognized him immediately; Alfred would usually talk with his friends from the Football Team, though he never picked up their names. They both smiled when they saw Alfred, with the boy (Matthew assumed was Demonte) reaching out to give him a handshake.

“Ayye, my boy,” Demonte said. “Yeah man, I’m helping Michelle out.”

“You doing intramurals too?” Alfred asked.

“Yeah, but on Tuesdays” he replied, sitting back down. “The only places available right now is on Thursdays.”

“They’re too late though,” the girl replied (who Matthew now assumed is Michelle), looking at the paper. “There’s only one spot left and I promised my friend to leave a slot for someone else.”

“Y-yeah, about that,” Matthew spoke up, stepping up to her. “Was it Elizabetha?”

“Yeah,” Michelle replied, now noticing Matthew standing beside Alfred. She smiled, “Wait, are you Matthew?”

Matthew simply nodded, and Michelle started to babble on as he pushed the paper towards him, and handed a pen. “Eliza told me to look out for you, but her description about you wasn’t that great? All she said was ‘he’s tall, don’t worry, I’ll tell him to say I sent him.’ I wish she just gave me a list, but apparently you guys were still confirming your teammates or something.”

“Whoa, I’m seeing doubles,” Demonte stated, looking at Alfred and Matthew. “Dude, this is your brother? I didn’t even notice him!”

“I know right, Mattie is so quiet,” Alfred replied as Demonte faced Matthew.

“Yo, nice to finally meet you fam,” Demonte said as he reached over to Matthew for a handshake.

“Same,” Matthew said, accepting it.

“You seem cool,” Demonte said, grinning. “Why didn’t you join football?”

“I’m not into it,” Matthew replied. “I’m more into ice hockey.”

“Demonte, dude, let them fill out the form first,” Michelle said, as she turned to Matthew and Alfred. “You guys can have up between 7 to 10 people. Also, make sure you have a teacher and it’s not all guys. We want this to be co-ed.”

“We mostly got guys so far, but we do have a teacher,” Alfred replied, as Matthew wrote down the names on the lines. “You want to play on my team, Michelle?”

“I was supposed to play with my friends, but we ended up splitting up to different teams,” Michelle sighed. “So sure. I’ll be on your team. You guys don’t mind if I add another girl on it too, right?”

“We don’t mind,” Matthew replied kindly, before leaning over to Alfred. “Who’s our teacher?”

“Good question, bro,” Alfred whispered, taking the pencil from Matthew. He glanced up for a minute, looking like he was thinking, before he said, “We can always put Dad down. He’s not on any teams right?”

“His name isn’t here, no,” Matthew said, glancing over the list. “I don’t think it’s a good idea without telling him…”

“Whatever dude!” Alfred said, writing down ‘Mr. Kirkland’ on one of the lines. “Yolo bro!”

“Alfred, really?” Matthew groaned, not bothering to stop Alfred. He looked over the list of teams while Alfred wrote, and he smiled to himself when he saw a specific name on the paper.

“Make sure to be at the gym at 11:30 sharp. We’ll be telling you who you’re against when you’re there,” Michelle said as soon as Alfred was done. She glanced down to the paper, and noticed their Dad’s name on the paper. “We’re playing with Mr. Kirkland? You think he’d be fine with that?”

“Yeah, he’d do anything if I ask him,” Alfred joked. They chatted for a bit, while Matthew stood by. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he took it out.

“Hey, Alfred, I gotta go,” Matthew said to Alfred quickly. He looked at Michelle and Demonte, saying, “It’s nice to meet you two.”

“Likewise,” Michelle replied, smiling, and Demonte nodded.

“See you in the gym, dude,” Alfred exclaimed, as Matthew walked down the hall. The staircase leading up to the roof was deserted, and he started to climb it, like he usually does during lunch.

He opened the door to the roof, and smile at who he saw there.

“Birdie,” Gilbert said, looking up from his textbook. “Thank god you’re here. I need some help with this problem – it’s fucking annoying me. Can you help me out?”

Matthew took a seat beside Gilbert, ignoring the knotting in his stomach and his heart beating fast.


	20. Of Conflict and Quietness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there readers! First, lemme just say thank you so much for waiting this long for this chapter, and I'm really sorry for not updating sooner. I was on a mini hiatus and writer's block. The story is in my head, but I found it hard to write down what I had to. I'm not really happy with this chapter, but there's no other way to write this...I hope you guys enjoy it though.
> 
> I've decided to split this chapter in half so it's easier for me to get these events out of the way first-plus, I wanted to show Matthew and Gilbert's perspective of this night because some shit happens in this chapter (not really...just friendly beef) 
> 
> I also realise that I forget to mention Kuma in the past chapters...it's like he disappears after appearing like thrice, so he's back and alive and well ^_^ (I'm inconsistent, I know). After the next chapter, though, I intend on making a volleyball filler chapter just for fun so hopefully that goes well.
> 
> Uhh idk what else to say further about this story honestly. I'm amazed that you guys keep reading this little tale I wrote lol and your words are so kind. Your comments always encourage me a lot! And thank you so much for liking and even subscribing to this work! This was a little thing I wrote to pass time, and to know people are still onboard with this makes me so happy <3  
> Anyways, on to the chapter, and until the next update~
> 
> Side note: Mr. Santos = Portugal and Yong Soo is kind of harsh ( I love this boy to pieces, but I can imagine him being like that :') )
> 
> Another Side note: For the song Gilbert will be playing in this chapter, I listened to the actual piece by these two musicians, and I thought they portrayed the mood I was going for nicely - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7P0JzW9xcgU (first part)

Surprisingly, when Alfred and Matthew told Arthur during their car ride to the apartment after school that he was going to be part of their volleyball team, Arthur took the news rather lightly. Matthew half expected him to be angry for not asking him beforehand, but instead, Arthur just asked when they were playing, looking like he wasn't paying much attention and his mind was elsewhere.

Matthew decided to go to Francis' place in the evening, only to come to an empty house with only their pet, although, this time Francis had left him a note on the kitchen countertop, a first in many months. It was a simple note, saying, _'Mathieu, I've gone to work, but I made some dinner in the fridge - help yourself and don't forget to feed Kuma. ~Love, Papa.'_

Cute and short, nothing too grand, but to Matthew, it was the fact that Francis took the time to actually write a note down that tugged his heart. He fed Kuma and left him to wander around the house, while Matthew went up to his room as always to finish his homework.

The next day, Matthew took the bus with Alfred, as per usual, but something was definitely off with him. Alfred looked like something was bothering him, and he wasn't talking much throughout the bus ride. Matthew asked what was wrong, and Alfred looked like he was considering telling Matthew, but he said he'd tell Matthew later. The only thing he did say was that he wanted to stay at Papa's place that night with Matthew, so they agreed to meet up in the Foyer after school.

It was now the third period. Matthew had just been hanging out with Gilbert on the rooftop and made it to the changing room with 5 minutes to spare, only to find a sign on the door saying that they had to go to one of the rooms in the Language hallway for Health class. Luckily, he wasn't the only one to forget; Feliciano, Yong Soo, and Tino were there at the same time Matthew came, and they completely forgot about it too.

"I can't believe Kiku and Ludwig didn't tell me we were starting Health today!" Feliciano rattled, as they walked away from the change room, down the hallway towards the other side of the school, where the Language wing is. 

"Weren't you with them during lunch?" Tino asked.

"Yes, we had a Newspaper Club meeting during lunch," Feliciano sighed. "But towards the end of lunch, I had to go the bathroom, and they decided to leave for class without me! How did you guys forget to go to class?"

"Tino and I were doing some Geography homework," Yong Soo replied. "I swear, Mr. Santos is giving us more work than necessary. We have a test this Friday, but we also have that deadline to find a club. I can't believe hey made clubs mandatory!"

"You haven't found a club yet?" Tino asked, before glancing over to Matthew. "What about you Matthew? Are you in one?"

"No, not yet," Matthew replied, and he could see Feliciano's eyes light up.

"Oh, oh, join the Newspaper Club with me, Matthew!" Feliciano cheerfully said. "You guys too! Oh, it will be so much fun! We usually have a meeting Fridays, after school."

"I'll try to check it out," Matthew replied, but Yong Soo scoffed.

"No thanks, I don't want to do more writing for anything other than for homework," Yong Soo replied, shaking his head.

"It's alright, Feli, I'm already in a club," Tino said kindly. "It's not really a club, the principle allowed it to be one."

"Really, what is it?" Matthew asked, trying to be more active in this conversation.

"It's just a band," Tino explained. "Berwald and I joined a few weeks ago. It's with these two upperclassmen, but I'm not sure if you guys know them - Matthias and Lukas. They'll be playing volleyball on Thursday. I'll be sure to point them - ah. Speak of the devil!"

They reached the room for their now Health class, and there were two boys probably older than them loitering outside. One had pale white skin, with short, pale blonde hair, a few strands pinned away from his face by a cross. He was in the middle of speaking to the other boy, who was slightly taller, with equally pale white skin and blonde hair that stood up, but his were more yellow.

"Hey, Matthias, Lukas!" Tino said happily as they walked up to the two boys.

The boy with the gravity defying hair turned to face them and grinned. 

"Tino! You got class with Emile, yeah?" The boy asked, as the other silently watched. "Tell him to go get his out here! We need to talk to him once and for all!"

"Matthias, are you still bugging him to join the band?" Tino asked, shaking his hand. "I thought Lukas was going to talk to him during lunch."

"I tried to, but he ran off with some friend when he saw me," the silent one replied in a deep, neutral tone - Matthew found that the boy sounded like he died on the inside a long time ago. "So Matthias wanted to ask him instead."

"I'm going to make that little brat join, whether he wants to or not!" Matthias exclaimed, a look of determination in his eyes. "With him, we can be a complete Nordic band!"

"Nordic is a very subjective term," Tino said. "Besides, whose to say he would say yes this time?"

"Bro, just bring him out!"

"Alright, alright," Tino sighed, as he led Matthew and the others through the door. Matthew noticed that Mr. Lars was not there yet, and the students were scattered in their respective friend groups. Their group was sitting near the back of the room, next to one of the chalkboards, all seated at individual desks that were lined up in rows.

Alfred was seated along the chalkboard side, behind Kiku, who was beside Ludwig. Berwald was in front of Ludwig, with Heracles beside him beside the chalkboard, and Emile on his other side. There were three vacant seats behind Alfred, Ludwig, and Emile. They were all having a discussion about God knows what, but Berwald and Emile seemed to be having their own conversation.

"Emile! Matthias and Lukas want to talk to you outside," Tino called as he approached Emile, whose smile faded into a frown.

"Not again, for fuck's sake," Emile groaned, getting out of his seat. "I thought you two told Matthias I wasn't interested!"

"Matthias is very persistent," Tino laughed, while Berwald hummed in agreement. Emile walked between the desks, grumbling something as he walked through the door, but Matthew didn't pay much attention to what he said - he was making his way towards the seat behind Alfred. 

"Kiku, why didn't you save me a seat beside you?" Feliciano exclaimed as he took the seat beside Matthew. Yong Soo followed by sitting beside Feliciano. 

"You don't get to have one because you're 5 minutes late to class," Kiku replied, which set Feliciano to ramble on with a story about how he did remember they had Health class and he was locked in the bathroom, but Matthew only half-heartedly listened, noticing something was off.

For one, Ludwig had remained silent the moment their group walked into the room, and didn't scold Feliciano like he usually would when he whined. Rather he seems to be ignoring the young Italian, facing Kiku and keeping his mouth closed.

The other issue was that Alfred was also extremely quiet when Matthew entered the room, something that bugged him even more. Right away he realized that Alfred was quietly listening to the conversation Kiku, Ludwig, and Carlos was having earlier on. He continued to stay quiet as Feliciano rambled on, and Matthew was expecting Alfred to join in, but he just smiled and laughed here and there. 

There were times while Alfred is arguing with their Dad that Matthew wished that Alfred wouldn't argue back and be calm. There were, even more, times while Alfred is annoying Matthew with questions and doing things intentionally to embarrass Matthew in public, such as announcing every little thing Matthew said, that Matthew wished that Alfred would just be quiet for one minute of his existence.

But no matter how much Matthew would wish and think those things, the reality was, he wouldn't want his brother to be any of those things - it was against his entire being, and those qualities are the things Matthew quietly wishes he had.

Now, seeing Alfred quietly at his desk, not actively interrupting the conversation, Matthew knew something was wrong. He's only seen Alfred this way when something was bothering him- or more so, something happened that left him hurt and confused.

And Matthew knew whatever happened to Alfred must have been big.

"Hey Al," Matthew whispered, leaning in towards his brother.

"Yeah, what's up dude?" Alfred asked, a smile on his face, but Matthew felt uncomfortable with the obviously fake happy expression. His smile was too small, too forced.

"What were you gonna tell me this morning?" Matthew asked, and he could see Alfred's smile falter. 

"This morning," Alfred mumbled, rubbing the back of his head while glancing away, a thin line on his face. "It's nothing bro-"

"Lies," Matthew cut him off, leaning closer, glancing at Feliciano and the others as they ignored the two. "Alfred, I know something is off. What happened?"

"I...It has to do with Dad," Alfred slowly replied, and Matthew's stomach turned at the uneasiness in Alfred's voice.

"Okay..."

"Well..." Alfred continued, but before he could say anymore, a very disoriented Mr. Jansen came barging through the door, his binder under his arm and Emile quickly following to return to his seat. Alfred mumbled before turning towards the front, "Well, I'll tell you later."

As much as Matthew wanted to protest, he kept his mouth shut. It wasn't the appropriate time to pester Alfred, and he turned his attention to his teacher. Mr. Jansen looked flustered and in a rush as he set down the binder on the desk, flipping through the pages. As he did so, Feliciano leaned back in his chair.

"Hey, is that a hickey on his neck?" Feliciano whispered, to which Yong Soo, who was sitting beside him, held back his laughter. Matthew looked at Mr. Jansen, both curious and flustered. Lo and behold, there was a red mark that was on his neck, but it was slightly covered by the lanyard around his neck. 

"I think he does," Yong Soo replied. "Damn, Lars is getting some-"

"Be quiet, both of you," Ludwig hissed at them, and as he turned around to face the front again, Yong Soo stuck out his tongue.

"Sorry for being late," Mr. Jansen stated, as he took out some sheets from the binder. He looked at the class, and continued, "So, as you all now, we have two parts take a week and a half to cover."

Matthew could see some of the guys smirking, and he knew they were all thinking the same thing- they're going to be learning all about sex.

"And no, we will not be covering the sex stuff yet," Mr. Jansen replied, sounding as if he had to say the exact same thing many times before. "We have to start with the somewhat 'Wellbeing' section. We will start with Drug and Substance Abuse, then we'll go into Mental Illness."

Yong Soo quickly raised his hand.

"Yong Soo?"

"No offense, sir, but what's the point of this section?" Yong Soo said. "I mean, in Korea, we don't learn about these things but we know that all drugs are bad. Like weed and stuff."

Some of the students nodded along at what Yong Soo said.

"Depends on the drug," Mr. Jansen said. "Most drugs are terrible, thought, and I assume we can all agree that drugs like heroine and opioid are not good. But most of you only know the mildest drugs, and barely looked into the effects of it, much less those of hardcore drugs. Regardless of whether your country exposes you to these things or not, the administration wants you to be exposed to these things even if you already know its bad. Besides, some of the lesser drugs, such as marijuana, isn't at that scale."

"Are you saying that weed is an okay drug?" Yong Soo asked, a puzzled look on his face.

"Well..., in my personal opinion, it's on the same level as alcohol," Mr. Jansen shrugged.

"Did you ever take drugs, sir?" Another student asked.

Mr. Jansen slightly frowned. "I was young and stupid once too."

Murmurs could be heard. Matthew could see Alfred slightly frown, but he didn't say anything. At this point, Matthew wasn't surprised - he was neutral on the subject, but less leaning towards bad. Well that depended on the drug - Mr. Jansen's vagueness only left him to decide what drugs he must have done beforehand.

Mr. Jansen continued, shaking the papers he had in his hand. "You best avoid them. Which is why this course required - you need to identify and recognize the effect of taking these drugs. God knows what it did to me."

"I'll be handing out a sheet containing a list of drugs. We'll read through them together."

The classroom was mostly silent throughout the rest of the period. Matthew quietly observed the students around him. Most didn't seem to care much for the lesson, but Yong Soo sort of looked distressed as he watched Mr. Jansen talk.

They had a discourse of the legalization of certain drugs, and the class ended with an assignment due the next week.

"Yong Soo! Why are you so quiet?" Feliciano finally asked the other when they left the room. Yong Soo still had that distressed look on his face. Behind them was Matthew and Alfred, with Ludwig, Kiku, and Carlos in front if them. The others were lingering around them, with the exception of Heracles and Emile, who have already left for his other class.

"This school must have very low standards for gym teachers," Yong Soo suddenly exclaimed, obvious distaste in his voice. "How can he openly claim something like that! And did he even pass the drug test? This school does require a drug test right?"

Matthew was going to ask Alfred what had happened to Arthur, but both their and the group's attention was on Yong Soo comment.

"My dad isn't paying 50k for me to be taught by an ex-druggie. Who knows if he still uses it."

Matthew noticed Feliciano slight frown, and Ludwig's face darkening a bit. Matthew suddenly felt the air change and he started to twindle his fingers.

Yong Soo had always been the bluntest person in their group- at times it was a good thing, but at times he could come off as borderline rude without knowing it. Yong Soo is a good guy, with a charming personality, he tends to go overboard.

"Yong Soo, you don't need to be blunt," Kiku said cooly, but Ludwig replied lightly,

"I think my grandfather knows what he's doing when he hires the teachers for this school. Besides, Mr. Jansen has been here for years - he's one of the most sought after coaches in the province."

"That doesn't dismiss the fact that he did -and could still be doing - crack," Yong Soo replied. 

"Hey, now he never specifically said anything," Carlos tried to mediate while smiling and patting Yong Soo's back as Ludwig turned forward.

"He's only defending him 'cause his brother does crack too," Yong Soo said just loud enough for Matthew to hear, unintentionally. However, he unintentionally loud enough for Ludwig to hear, who quickly spun on his heels to face Yong Soo, stopping Yong Soo in his tracks.

"What did you say?" Ludwig said in a louder voice, his piercing eyes staring down on Yong Soo, and Matthew could see that he had both hands in a fist. Alfred attempted to intervene, sensing that there was a potential fight that might break loose, flanking by Yong Soo's side.

"Dude, he didn't mean that," Alfred said quickly, attempting to ease the situation and avoid a potential fight, however, Yong Soo took a step forward, chest against Ludwig's.

"What, I'm just saying the truth," Yong Soo scoffed again, his eyes narrowing as he folded his arms.

"You're talking shit about my brother?" Ludwig growled, looking down on Yong Soo threateningly.

"What, it's not my fault that your brother was a crackhead-" Yong Soo continued, before he was cut short by Ludwig grabbing him by his shirt, to which the surrounding group started to go in a slight frenzy, with passing students buzzing and watching.

"Yong Soo!" Kiku exclaimed for what he had said, but then looked at Ludwig.

"Guys, please do not start a fight-" Matthew said, but his voice was warbled by Feliciano's.

"Wait, Ludwig, calm down!" Feliciano squeaked quickly.

"Take that back," Ludwig gritted his teeth, and his grip evidently tightening.

"What are you going to do?" Yong Soo asked, tilting his head. "Punch me? Yeah right."

Matthew could tell Ludwig was looking like he was ready to punch him, but before he could do anything, Mr. Jansen came out of the classroom to see why there was a lot of noise.

"What's going on?" Mr. Jansen scolded, seeing the position they were in, and quickly stepped in. His face turned into a frown, before he yelled, "Knock it off, both of you! Get to class - if you guys start a fight, both your asses are going to get in trouble." Mr. Jansen made eye contact with Ludwig. "And we wouldn't want that happening."

Ludwig looked at Yong Soo, before letting go of his shirt.

"Ludwig-" Feliciano started, reaching out to touch Ludwig's arm.

"Don't touch me," Ludwig said coldly, shrugging off Feliciano's hand angrily, and he walked away, still looking mad. Matthew could see Feliciano sort of froze on the spot as Kiku, Carlos, and Alfred surrounded a very pouty Yong Soo who was now leaning against the wall nearby, fixing his shirt.

"Yong Soo, that was incredibly rude," Kiku said calmly.

"That was completely uncalled for," Carlos sighed. 

"What? It's true," Yong Soo mumbled, before the others started to talk at once.

Matthew quietly walked up to Feliciano, who was still frozen in place. He attempted to take a look on Feliciano's face, who was looking at the ground, and he could see the Italian's face had fallen into an incredibly sad look.

"Feliciano, are you okay?" Matthew said softly, touching his back in a comforting way. He could tell Ludwig's offhand comment to Feliciano hurt him, and he knew it was uncalled for.

"Yeah," Feliciano mumbled, looking up, and for a second Matthew could see his eyes were glassy, obviously due tears that were welling up. His pout turned into a quick smile, however, as he quickly wiped his eyes with the sleeves of his shirt. "Yeah, I'm fine Matthew."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, thank you for asking though," Feliciano waved off, still smiling. Matthew just smiled back, not wanting to press on further. Matthew now had a feeling there was some sort of reason why Ludwig was a bit cold, though he was not sure yet. He then turned slightly towards the group, "I got to get to class. I'll see you guys tomorrow!"

"Bye, Feli," Carlos called out, as the group started to head their own directions to the next class.

Before Alfred could take the stairs downstairs to his Science class, and Matthew upstairs to his Math class, Matthew quickly stopped him.

"Alfred, you were going to say what happened to Dad?" Matthew asked, holding onto the rail of the staircase. 

"Uh," Alfred hesitated for a moment, thinking a bit. "Can I tell you after school dude? Class is about to start, and I don't want to be late."

Since when did you care about class, Matthew wanted to say, but he just said, "Yeah, sure. Meet you in the foyer right after class?"

"Actually, I'm going to check out the Student Council meeting after school, but it'll only take 15 minutes," Alfred replied, before flashing a quick peace sign. "Just wait for me at the foyer, still. Later, dude." And with that, Alfred quickly went down the stairs.

"Later," Matthew sighed whimsically walking up the stairs to his Math class. Alfred had said the night before he was interested in the first year rep role in the student council, but he didn't think Alfred would actually go- he didn't mention it in the morning.

The hallway had cleared up a bit, and as he walked towards the classroom, he could see there were two people standing there - one of which had snow white hair, who's back was facing Matthew. As Matthew walked closer, he could see that Elizabetha was the one chatting with him.

"Hey, Matthew," Elizabetha called as Matthew approached, smiling as she waved. Gilbert quickly turned around, looking like he was taken by surprise of her outburst, but when he saw Matthew, he grinned.

"Birdie," Gilbert said in turn, putting his hands in his pockets, leaning against the lockers cooly.

"Gilbert," Matthew said in turn, smiling. "Hey Elizabetha."

"You're late," Gilbert continued, taking out his phone. "Exactly three minutes late from the usual time. Care to explain?"

"As if you're always here early," Matthew replied lightly, biting his bottom lip. He should probably tell Gilbert what happened with Ludwig, but he'll tell him during class. "Is Ms. Khemet inside?"

"Nah, she's late," Gilbert replied. "So we can hang out here for a bit."

"And do what?"

"Whatever you like," Gilbert said with a quick wink, to which Matthew shook his head. He glanced over to Elizabetha, who had a weird grin on her face, as if she wanted to say something, but couldn't. 

"Well, I'd love to stay and chat with you two, but I have to go," Elizabetha said suddenly. She then looked at Gilbert and gave him a quick wink, before cheekily saying, "Gilbert _-Viel Spaß~_ "

" _Verpiss Dich_ ," Gilbert replied quickly as Elizabetha started to sashay away. Matthew did not understand what either of them had said, and he couldn't tell if it had a negative or positive connotation.

"Don't forget, come to the Music Room after class!" She exclaimed, before disappearing through the doors leading to a staircase nearby.

"What did she say?" Matthew asked, as he led Gilbert into the classroom, to their usual spot. On his way, he noted that Lillian, Basch's sister, and Natalya, Ivan's sister, were huddled close, looking at something Lillian was holding.

"She's trying to pick up more German, she really didn't say anything important," Gilbert scoffed, taking a seat at his desk, and Matthew at is. "All she really said was to meet up after school."

"Sounded a lot less than that but okay," Matthew replied. "She said you were meeting her in the Music Room. What for?"

"Just going to the Music Club," Gilbert grumbled. "Ever since the school implemented that stupid rule about joining a club, I went to check it out since Roderich, Elizabetha and Vash goes. They don't do anything other than play music, but it's better than joining something stupid like the Student Council."

"Don't you need to know how to play an instrument for that club?" Matthew asked, curious. He needs to find something before Friday, so he might as well know was much as he can about these clubs.

"Nah, it's more like a hangout place. The teacher doesn't care about that stuff. I'm just going so I have something to put on paper," Gilbert replied, before glancing at Matthew with a smirk. "Besides, I do play an instrument. Two, in fact."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I play the flute and some guitar."

"You play the flute?" Matthew repeated, a bit surprise.

In middle school, everyone had to participate in some weekly band class where they had to pick up an instrument. It must have been an attempt to give some sort of musical education to the students since there wasn't any funding for an actual Music class. Matthew used his invisibility to weasel his way out of classes, but he would see the students play. He tended to find the more gentler, elegant students to play the flutes, since it is a graceful instrument with a nice, silky sound. Gilbert was the complete opposite of that thought.

"Yeah, flute," Gilbert continued with a tone that sounded like he didn't care. "In Berlin, my mom had a flute that she'd play when I was younger. I'd pick some things up here and there. I still have that stupid flute, so I thought 'why not learn how to play it', you know?"

"Ohhh," Matthew replied, feeling weird when Gilbert mentioned his mother that casually, but he didn't want to show it. Instead, he said, "Maybe you should play some songs on the flute for me."

"Come to the Music Club after school, and I'll even teach you," Gilbert said lightly, with a grin and a wink. Matthew stopped himself from being flustered, and slightly faced forward.

He thought about this offer. Alfred was going to be at that meeting, so Matthew had time to spare before meeting him in the foyer. 

"Sure," Matthew accepted with a soft smile. "I'll check it out for a bit. Who knows, I might join. I still haven't found a club to join yet."

"You should," Gilbert chuckled. "You really didn't find one yet?"

"No, everyone's talking about the clubs and committees, they're joining," Matthew sighed. "But all the ones they suggested aren't really for me, you know?"

"Yeah, Ludwig told me that you first years have until the end of this week to find a club to join," Gilbert said, thinking for a minute. "You know, they're looking for people for that Library Assistant group. Why don't you join that? You only have to do twice a week during lunch and it counts for volunteer hours."

"There's that too," Matthew mumbled. "I'll check it out, though. Do you know when they have it?"

"No, you'd have to ask Elizabetha 'bout it," Gilbert replied. "She knows everything that's going on in the school."

Matthew nodded, and started to take out his book, when Gilbert continued,

"By the way, what took ya so long? Did Mr. Janssen make you stay behind to do extra laps?"

"We're started health today," Matthew replied, setting his bag and starting to take his things out. He again though about what had happened, and still debating over whether to tell Gilbert or not. In one hand, he could treat it as an off hand comment, but on the other hand, Ludwig would probably think he was a snitch for telling his brother about the altercation he was in. 

"The best class to take a long nap," Gilbert said. "Besides Math class."

"Sometimes I wonder how you remember what we learn," Matthew shook his head, though he found his comment oddly charming. Then he thought of a way to kind of mention what happened. "By the way, did something happen to Ludwig?"

"Ludwig?" Gilbert asked, thinking for a minute. "No, I don't think so. Oh, right- you guys have class together right? You guys sometimes hang out."

"Sometimes," Matthew replied, while thinking,  _But we're not close._  

"Why, what's wrong," Gilbert sat up a bit, facing Matthew fully, and something in his voice sounded worried. For good reason, of course.

"He just seemed quieter than usual," Matthew waved it off, not wanting to tell him about his argument and how he was ignoring Feliciano. He continued, "Kind of seemed like something was pissing him off- but it's probably nothing. Forget I asked."

"...You sure?" Gilbert asked, and at that moment, Ms. Khemet walked into the classroom. All the students surrounding them stopped talking and went back to their seats immediately.

"I'm sure. Don't worry about it," Matthew replied quietly, as Ms. Khemet spoke, starting the lesson.

* * *

The lesson went by quickly, and as soon as the bell rang, everyone filed out of the class and into the hallways. Gilbert told Matthew to meet him in the room for the Music Club, since Matthew needed to grab some things from his locker. 

Matthew did the usual thing he did- he went to his locker, made small talk with Ravis, and was making his way to the Music Room - located somewhere on the main floor of the school- when he entered the staircase where he heard a familiar voice.

"Yao-Yao, do you have the English notes from today's class?" said the voice, the Russian accent clearly there. Matthew stopped and stood behind the railing, looking down to the landing.

There Ivan stood, with the same scarf Matthew saw him in before. He was with another boy, who was much shorter than the tall Russian, with long dark brown hair pulled back into a ponytail and a slightly tanned colour to his skin. From where Matthew was standing, he could only notice the boy's round nose and long eyes. He was wearing the white shirt, though it was stylized to have longer sleeves, and he wore the beige pants. They both had walked up the stairs from the basement level, and looked like they were on their way out through the main floor.

"Don't call me that!" The boy exclaimed, and Matthew quickly noticed his soft accent. The boy took off his bag from his shoulders, opening it to take out his notebook, while asking, "By the way, if you don't mind, how was your session?"

"Same old, same old," Ivan said, his smile not wavering, though he crossed his arms. "She asked me the same things and I told her the same thing. I don't know why my sister insists I go."

"Because she cares," the boy (Yao-Yao?) sighed, handing Ivan the notebook.

"I have to see her this Thursday in the morning," Ivan continued, accepting the notebook.

"Are you going to be there for volleyball?" Yao-Yao asked as he started to walk towards the door.

"Yes, I'll be sure to be there," Ivan laughed. "Anything for my Yao-Yao."

"I said don't call me that!" the boy exclaimed again, as he opened the door, and Ivan took a step forward, and stopped.

"Are you going to keep standing there, Matthew?" Ivan suddenly asked, and Matthew felt his heart stop as Ivan turned around to look up to him. "I haven't seen you in a long time! And I see that German isn't flying around you."

Matthew had no reason to be afraid of him, but at that moment, he felt something was off. If anything, he mostly stood there surprised he remembered his name. He wanted to say so, but then he remembered Gilbert's warnings. Maybe he shouldn't talk to Ivan. Should he listen to his words? 

 _He's not the boss of me,_ Matthew thought, mentally shaking his head.  _And I should form my own opinion first._

"A-ah, no," Matthew replied, smiling kindly, as he walked down the stairs. He tried to make light of this awkward situation, "Nice to see you again, Ivan. I'm surprised you remember my name."

"You're not easy to forget," Ivan replied back, still smiling as he walked through the door that Yao-Yao held open. 

"You know him?" Yao-Yao asked with a slight frown, thought Matthew wasn't sure if it was intentional. Now that he was close to the other, he could see he was shorter than him.

"Yes, my sister is friends with both his fathers," Ivan replied, and Matthew felt oddly exposed when he said that. "He's Mr. Kirkland's son, besides the noisy one - Matthew."

"So you're the other one?" Yao-Yao exclaimed. "Mr. Kirkland always talked about you two during class, but I didn't think I'd meet you."

"Y-Yes, thank you," Matthew managed to say as he passed through the door, unsure of how Yao-Yao said that.

"Woow, you and Alfred look so much alike," Yao-Yao replied, staring at his face. 

"You know Alfred?" Matthew asked, thought he knew that he would obviously know him before Matthew.

"Yeah, my cousins have Gym class with you," Yao-Yao said, now smiling. "Yong Soo and Kiku!"

"Oh, really," Matthew continued, feeling a bit more relaxed, now that the atmosphere wasn't tense with Yao talking. 

"I met Alfred because he was always hanging out with those two," Yao-Yao said, shaking his head. "I just met you, but I prefer you over him- he's very loud, but you're quiet. I like that!"

"Thank you?" Matthew replied, as Yao-Yao continued,

"Matthew, right? Nice to formally meet you, my name is-"

"Yao-Yao!" Ivan said happily, while the other scoffed.

"No! Not Yao-Yao! It's Yao! Don't listen to this guy," Yao quickly interjected, waving Ivan off. 

"Nice to meet you too, Yao," Matthew replied in a quiet voice, and saw an opportunity to leave. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to check out a club meeting. I still need to join one, you know...ever since it's mandatory"

"Right," Yao replied, smile still on his face. "I know guys have until the end of this week-Oh! You should consider join the Gourmet Food Appreciation Club!"

"I'll check it out," Matthew replied as he started to walk away. "Again, it was nice to meet you."

"Meetings are Friday after school!" Yao waved as him and Ivan started to walked the opposite direction. "It was nice to meet you! Hopefully I see you there!"

"Bye bye Matthew," Ivan said happily, waving as well. Matthew nodded slightly before disappearing through a set of doors into another hallway. 

 _Well, that wasn't bad,_ Matthew thought as he walked down the somewhat empty hall, towards the direction he assumed the Music Room would be. He'd assume that it would've been a lot worse, with Ivan being a bit more creepier, but he was pretty nice. He didn't feel that uncomfortable talking to him, unlike the first time they spoke, though they probably got off on the wrong foot when Gilbert interrupted.

He glanced at the numbers over the doors he passed, each increasing to the number he was supposed to go to. The Music Room was at the end of this hall, and Matthew could see the door was slightly opened. As Matthew walked towards the room, he could hear the faint sounds of a piano playing a melancholic tune, then a flute joining in. 

Matthew got to the door, and he silently peered through, the tune of the music filling the room. The music room was probably one of the bigger rooms in the school, and the most spacious. There were instruments lining one side of the room, and black cases over the side tables. In the front of the room where the white board was, there was a small podium, along with a piano. Chairs were strewed in front of the piano, some forming a semi circle, some here and there. There was another room attached to this one, which was slightly opened, and he could see an older person in there - who he assumed was the music teacher.

From where Matthew was standing, he could see the side of the piano, where the pianist would sit facing towards the chairs- there sat Roderich, Gilbert's friend he met a few weeks back, playing the piano with utmost ease. His fingers graced over the keys, and he seemed completely drawn into the music, not looking at the sheets that sat before him. 

Standing in front of the piano was the flutist, with the music stand in front of them. There stood Gilbert, a silver flute in hand, though Matthew couldn't believe what he was seeing. This is the first time he saw Gilbert stand so composed, and the way he held on to the flute with steady hands seemed so weird, yet, Matthew found himself drawn to him. His eyes were looking down to the sheet, and he slightly swayed with each breathe. 

Matthew silently entered through the door, leaning against the wall nearby. Elizabetha was sitting right near the door, enjoying the performance, and when she noticed Matthew, she smiled and waved. Matthew did the same, not wanting to interrupt.  

It was a soothing tune, yet there was sadness in this piece, especially by the way Gilbert was playing it. They continued to play for a bit longer, neither noticing the entrance of a new person. There was a high note that Gilbert attempted to make, but the flute ended up squeaking instead, ruining the song and ending it abruptly. Roderich sort of smashed the keys at the interruption, groaning loudly.

"It's always that note," Matthew could hear Roderich grumbled, a look of annoyance on his face.

"My bad," Gilbert laughed as he held on to the flute, looking over at Roderich. "Can we do it again? I really want this to sound perfect."

"I don't understand why you want to perfect a piece you only started learning last week," Roderich shook his head. 

"C'mon Roddy, just do me a solid !" Gilbert begged, leaning against the piano. "I want to perfect this before you-know-who comes."

Roderich glanced over to where Elizabetha was sitting, and replied, "He's already here anyways."

"What did you think of that, Matthew?" Elizabetha suddenly asked, Matthew escaping that trance, and looking at her. She was loud enough to grabbing Gilbert's attention to their direction.

"I think it was really good," Matthew replied, kind of disheartened that they finished so abruptly.

"Birdie!" Gilbert exclaimed, again looking surprised and flustered. "How long have you been standing there?"

"A while," Matthew said as he stood up, Elizabetha doing the same so she can walk to Roderich. "I did say I'd come by. You're way better than I expected."

"Of course I am," Gilbert grinned. "I'm that awesome!"

"Yeah sure," Matthew replied, though he smiled. "Is this entire club or..."

"Some people come by later," Elizabetha replied before Gilbert could. "They usually come in the morning though."

"Ah. And what piece were you guys playing?" Matthew asked Gilbert, though before he could reply, someone else answered.

"Flute Sonata in E : Siciliano," Roderich replied from the piano, as he took out a folder from his bag without missing a beat. "By Johann Sebastian Bach. He doesn't compare to Mozart, though."

"Yeah, him," Gilbert rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Anyways, how long are you going to be here for Birdie?"

"Why, do you want me to leave so soon," Matthew tilted his head.

"No, just wondering," Gilbert replied, swaying the flute he had in his hand. "Since you said you're meeting up with your brother and all."

"He'll text me when he's in the foyer," Matthew replied. "Maybe you can teach me how to play while I wait for him?"

"Maybe I should," Gilbert replied back, and Matthew could see he was being a bit flirty.

"Get a room," Elizabetha mocked, to which Matthew looked away, trying to hide his sheepish grin. 

"Fuck off," Gilbert said, turning towards Elizabetha, flipping her off as she did the same to him. As the two went on to bicker, Matthew heard the sound of a message on his phone. He immediately knew it was Alfred.

 **Alfred:** _Bro, we're done the meeting_  
_Are you in the Foyer?_

 **Matthew:** _Omw right now_

"And that's Alfred," Matthew said to Gilbert, who stopped for a moment.

"Damn," Gilbert sighed, as he placed his flute on one of the chairs. "Do you want me to walk you to the foyer?"

"It's okay," Matthew replied, noticing Elizabetha carefully watching and listening to them. "I won't get lost. I'll see you tomorrow during class?"

"Oh," Gilbert said flatly, and Matthew could hear a bit of disappointment in his voice but he didn't pay much attention to it. He picked up his flute again, and continued in his usual tone, "Right. I'll see you tomorrow, Birdie."

"Bye," Matthew said, walking out of the room, a small wave and smile on his face.

"Bye, Matthew," Gilbert replied with a similar wave of the hand, though he looked reluctant saying that.

"Bye," Matthew said softly again without realizing it, before walking away finally. He felt himself blush; he knew he was trying to avoid leaving so soon, even though he doesn't want to admit it.

Though he'd rather spend some time with Gilbert...maybe he can get some private flute lessons from him.


	21. What now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've stayed up trying to figure out how to word this chapter, and this was the result. I hope it isn't as subpar to what you all expect. I remembered to include the pets in here, so that good :')
> 
> Sorry everyone, little to no PruCan in this one, but I promise there is gonna be a bit in the next chapter (but there is a slight GerIta moment? Or is it ;0) Fair warning: I can't do vows, so I'll be sure to go back and fix the vows featured in this chapter.
> 
> Anyways, I'm sorry this note sounds like it's lacking, I'm writing this at 1 in the morning. But I just wanted to say, thank you guys so much for reading this little tale so far and sticking by this very slow burn fic (I recently found this fandom term, don't judge me ples)! I want to thank to the readers who have commented on the work so far, you guys support really helps launch me to start writing the next chapter <3 Special thanks to 5ft8in_fangirl for letting me talk to her for advice on this fic, your help is very much appreciated <3
> 
> I don't want you guys to stick too long on this note, so I'll end it here. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and until the next chapter, this is LightBlueFlower, signing off!
> 
> Note:  
> Sean Kirkland - Ireland  
> James Kirkland - Northern Ireland  
> Dylan Kirkland - Wales  
> Allister Kirkland - Scotland

"...So me and Michelle are basically going to team up for this election," Alfred continued as he and Matthew got off the bus and started to walk down the road that was entering their neighbourhood. "Since there's going to be two reps per year, we have a higher chance if we team up and add together our manpower."

"When do you guys start campaigning?" Matthew asked, wanting Alfred to keep talking, even thought he's been listening to his brother for the past half an hour. Usually, Matthew would tune out and start nodding nonsensically when his brain reached a limit with Alfred's loud and rapid talking, but today was different. His brother was quiet for the past 8 hours (or more, he wasn't there to see how he was like last night), and Matthew felt like he would have gone crazy if all he heard was Alfred saying things "Or really?" and "Oh, haha." in an even tone. It took most of the walk to the bus stop near their school to get Alfred to talk, and throughout the bus ride Matthew had to coax him before Alfred carried the conversation himself.

Matthew chose not to ask about what happened to Arthur, though he knew it must have been bad for Alfred to behave the way he did. He should wait until they get home, or when Alfred mentions something close to it. He didn't want to ruin his brother's mood, especially since Matthew felt much happier when Alfred was.

Alfred continued on with the conversation about the Student Council, Matthew actively commenting here and there, and even insisted that he helped Alfred out with the posters and campaign. 

They soon reached the house, and when Matthew opened the door, the duo were greeted by an aroma they were familiar with, but haven't smelled in a long time. It made the house seem much warmer, and much more welcoming than what he is usually used to.

"Beef _bourguignon_ ," Alfred said after inhaling the aroma deeply, and Matthew could see his eyes twinkling, looking like he might drool with the way he grinned. 

Matthew's reaction was much more subpar to that, as he quietly felt a weird anticipation build up in his stomach. Quickly taking off his shoes, Matthew trailed into the kitchen. A small vision flashed before him as he reached the kitchen doorway - it was a specific image of a younger Francis from long ago, wearing that light pink sweater he used to always wear at home with the sleeves rolled up, a pair of jeans he always wore with that specific sweater covered with his red apron, his blond hair brushed and pulled back neatly in a low ponytail, and the slight glint of the silver ring on his left hand. 

When Matthew peered in, there he saw his Papa - he was still wearing his bartender uniform, and his hair wasn't as well kept, instead pulled in a very messy bun, but he was wearing that same apron he used to always use before he slowly stopped cooking two years ago. Francis immediately looked over to the doorway, and Matthew could see he had properly shaven his face and trimmed his stubble. Alfred was right behind Matthew, as Francis smiled brightly, and quickly turned of the stove.

" _Vous etes en avance!_ <You guys are early!>" Francis replied happily, as Alfred passed Matthew, hugging their Papa as they greeted each happily. 

Matthew tuned out - he was still stuck on that vision he had seen, and as he quietly looked at Francis at that very moment, this feeling swelled up in his chest. It was a feeling of warmth and familiarity, the feeling of experiencing something nostalgic after a long time. For a moment, the only thing he could think was  _This is home._

" _Tu m'as entendu, Mathieu?_ <Did you hear me, Matthew?>" Francis suddenly asked, snapping Matthew out of his silent trance.

"Oui," Matthew quietly replied, thought he didn't actually listen, andFrancis pulled him for a kiss on the forehead. 

" _J'ai dis que je vais au travaille_ ,< I said I'm going to work>" Francis chuckled, and slightly patted his head, before saying to the both of them. "I'll be back after midnight, okay?"

"Yeah, don't worry Papa, we'll be fine," Alfred replied.

"Oui," Matthew replied automatically, still not really paying attention. Francis looked at Matthew for a moment, but he instead smiled.

"Alright then," Francis said softly, before walking towards the front of the house, grabbing his coat and keys that hung on the staircase's railing. "Don't forget to feed Kuma, by the way!  _Bonne nuit, mes petits._ "

"Goodnight," Alfred replied, still smiling. Matthew smiled slightly, and did the same, but much quieter.

"Oh! And one more thing," Francis replied, as he stopped opening the door. "I cleaned the basement and I left a box in the living room - can you please put it back downstairs?"

"Don't worry 'bout it," Alfred said, showing a thumbs up. "Me and Mattie will handle it!"

"Alright, thank you," Francis said, saying another farewell before leaving through the door and closing it shut.

"Where is that mutt, anyways? I haven't seen him in a while," Alfred asked Matthew as soon as Francis left, leaning into the kitchen, and to the living room. He stopped suddenly, and quietly looked at Matthew for a moment. "You okay dude?"

"Yeah," Matthew said softly, trying to keep his feelings at bay, still looking at the door. "Just...reminiscing."

"Yeah," Alfred said, leaning against the wall, not pressing any further, though his face softened and he smiled softly. "Just like the good ol' days."

"It feels..." Matthew started, not knowing how to word this feeling, but Alfred finished for him.

"Like home?"

"Exactly."

The two went on to their usual night routine - a quick rock, paper, scissors match to decide who would take a bath first, and another one for who would do the dishes and put all the food away. They both took their time savouring the food their Papa had made for them - it has been too long, and as much as they try to hide it, their Dad's cooking could never compare to Francis'. 

Matthew was finishing up the dishes (he had lost 3-2), while Alfred comfortably lounged around the living room, messing around with Kuma who was done roaming the backyard, when he suddenly said, "Shit! I forgot - the box Papa wanted us to put downstairs!"

"Do we both need to carry it?" Matthew asked, as he placed the last pan in the washing machine, and walked out to the living room, where Alfred was already walking to the box.

"Nah, I don't think so," Alfred said, leaning over the cardboard box. "It's pretty small. Wonder what's in here..."

"I don't think it's anything important," Matthew replied as he walked up beside Alfred, when Alfred opened the flaps of the box to reveal...

"Cassettes?" They both said at the same time, Alfred taking out one of them, inspecting.

"These are ancient, dude!" Alfred exclaimed. "Why do we have this stuff?"

"Look," Matthew pointed at the white area with loopy blue writing on it that he immediately recognized as Francis'. "It's a video cassette...' _First Birthday_ '?"

"Oh shit," Alfred said, looking at Matthew. "Are these..."

"Home videos?" Matthew finished. 

"I thought they transferred it all on CD," Alfred said, taking out a handful of other cassettes, shuffling through them. "Dad only has some of our old photo albums, but not the videos..."

"They would still have the original copy, obviously," Matthew replied, leaning over Alfred's shoulder. 

"Look!" Alfred continued. "' _First day of Kindergarden & Others_', ' _Al &Mattie's 5th Birthday_'...most of these are just dates. Whoa, they were way before we were around!...Ah!"

Alfred had a cheeky grin on his face, as he turned one of the tapes he held towards Matthew, who took it. Matthew took a look at the writing, reading the words: ' _Wedding Day + Engagement_ '. 

"Good thing we still got a VCR player," Alfred said as he got up.

Soon, the TV was on, and Matthew sat comfortably on the floor in front of it, as Alfred fiddled with the player. When they heard the wiring noise stop, Alfred finally pressed play, and took a seat the other.

"Which one is this?" Matthew asked, the screen going black, before turning back on. 

"Bringing it back to the first day of kindergarden," Alfred replied with a grin.

Matthew recognized the scenery right away- it was in front of this very house, on the lawn. The camera was pointed towards the front door, and sitting on the stairs leading up was a little boy with dirty blond hair. 

"Is that me?" Alfred exclaimed, instant regret in his voice, while Matthew tried to stifled his laughter.

There Alfred was, a boy who had barely turned four, a bright red cape tied around his neck and a Superman shirt with jeans and bright red shoes. Four year old Alfred had the same sandy brown hair with a cowlick, but he was missing his glasses, and he stared into the camera with big blue eyes.

 _"Francis, what are you doing!"_  Little Alfred squeaked, grinning widely as he got up, his tiny backpack on his tiny shoulders.  _"Can I hold it?"_

"My voice," Alfred groaned, covering his face and cringing when he heard his ridiculously high voice.

 _"I don't think you're old enough to handle a camera,"_ the familiar French accented voice of their Papa came from behind the camera. Little Alfred pouted as he kept walking up to the person behind the camera.  _"Besides, I don't want to get in trouble with Arthur."_

 _"I'll be careful,"_ Little Alfred replied, his tiny hands reaching towards the screen. 

_"It's too heavy for you, Al."_

_"Pleeeease?"_ Little Alfred pouted, looking up to the person with his big, baby blue eyes.

 _"...Alright, but just for a moment, okay?"_ the voice said, as the camera shifted so it was eye level to Alfred. The camera shifted around, before it stabilized in Alfred's hand, and facing towards their Papa, who was close to the camera, fixing it. 

"How young..." Matthew started while Alfred let out a low whistle, looking at this younger version of Francis in awe. He hadn't noticed how much older his Papa looked now compared to before. Francis must have been in his mid 20s, with his golden blond waves flowing up till below his ears, framing his slim face. His white skin was cleared from from any wrinkles, in places where now Matthew could see slowly forming. He had his black sunglasses tuck on his hair, blue eyes looking past the camera. He must have been pretty popular back then - and he still probably is at his workplace. Their Dad did use to say that there were many people at their high school who used to vie for his attention.

" _Et voi_ _la!_ " Francis said, with a soft smile, as he got up. The camera followed suite, and they had a glimpse of his outfit - a simple navy blue shirt with a pair of white jeans and brown loafers. And still, in the simplest of outfits, he manages to look like he walked out of a fashion catalogue. Younger Francis continued, " _Make sure to support it at the bottom._ "

" _Whoaaaaa, this is sooo cool dude!_ " Little Alfred gushed as he moved the camera slowly around, showing the spacious lawn. The front door of their house suddenly opened, and out appeared Arthur, holding onto another boy who was clinging on to him, hiding his face into his shoulder.

" _MATTIE! WHAT TOOK YA SO LONG!_ " Little Alfred yelled very loudly, making the little boy who clung onto Arthur look around towards them with a pouty face. 

This Matthew was the same age of Alfred, but he would appear to be slightly smaller in size- he on a red shirt and blue shorts, his little shoes swinging with his legs. He wore a small cap, and his strawberry blond hair poked out underneath. 

"No," Matthew groaned suddenly remembering the events of that day, while Alfred laughed. 

"Aww, Mattie," Alfred said as he slung an arm around Matthew's shoulder, pulling him into a squeeze. "I remember what happened that day! You didn't want to go so you hid in the basement!"

"It was for good reason," Matthew mumbled, shaking his head, remembering tidbits of their toddler days. They were only adopted during the beginning of summer by their parents, meaning they were only living with them for a good three months before being sent off to kindergarden. Of course, before that they had to go through this integration phase the orphanage put them through, where they would visit their fathers house weekly to get to know them and see if they were that good of a fit. Of course, Alfred and Matthew had their fair share of abandonment issues - many potential parents didn't want to keep both, so they avoided them. If Matthew remembers correctly, he was scared that if they left the house that he wouldn't be able to go back. A weird fear when he thinks about it, but now that he thinks about it, completely rational.

" _Camera, Alfie,_ " younger Francis requested, and the camera shifted to higher grounds, as a equally young Arthur locked the door, still holding Matthew in one arm, before carrying him down the stair. 

"And Dad still has those eyebrows," Alfred laughed as the camera walked up to the younger Arthur. "But look at his hair!"

Younger Arthur still looked similar to how he did now, and it was evident his style didn't change that much, save for his hair, which wasn't a mushy mess. He must have took the time to slick it on the side, like those young hollywood actors during that time. He still had his busy eyebrows, though like now it was well kept and obviously trimmed. Matthew stared at his outfit, and he felt like there was something off about it...

"Are they...wearing the same colour shirt?" Matthew noted, while the video Francis could be heard audibly laughing.

" _Nice choice of shirt,_ " Francis joked as he captured Arthur's outfit - he was also wearing a navy blue shirt, though it was a polo, and he was wearing beige slacks with them.

" _You've got to be kidding me_ ," Arthur groaned looking at Francis before looking at his own outfit. " _I wore this first! If anything, you should go and change!_ "

" _I didn't know,"_ Francis said lightly. " _We don't have time- school is going to start._ "

" _You're right,_ " Arthur replied with a frown, as he looked at the watch on his wrist and began to gently place Matthew down to the ground, where Alfred was nearby.

" _Hey, Arthur, can we get into the car now?_ " Alfred asked as he held Matthew's hand, as the latter attempted to stand behind Alfred, shying away from the camera.

 _"Yes, Francis will help you_ in," Arthur said softly, taking out the keys from his pocket. He noticed Francis pointing the camera at him, and said, " _Are you seriously recording this? Turn that thing off!"_

 _"Non. Matthieu, Alfred,_ " Francis said as the camera turned and followed the younger boys towards the car, opening the door for them to slide in. " _Are you two ready for your first day?_ "

" _Yep!_ " Alfred exclaimed with a toothy smile, while Matthew shyly nodded, with a small smile. " _It's gonna be so much fun, right Mattie?_ "

" _Yeah..._ " Matthew barely whispered, before Francis spoke.

" _Perfect. I'll just put this away...say bye to the camera._ " The camera fumbled a bit and Alfred started to wave wildly.

" _Bye bye camera!_ " Alfred squeaked, a hand still in Matthew's, while Matthew did a small wave, looking mildly confused but still worded 'bye'. Then the screen went black.

"Well," present day Matthew sighed, leaning back into his arms. "That was a weird trip. Are you planning to go through all these videos?"

"Obviously dude!" Alfred exclaimed, shooting up and fast forwarding the recorder, a new picture appearing. 

They went through video after video, snippets of their childhood flashing by on the screen, with Kuma wandering back to them and sitting comfortably between them. They went from their first trip to the local zoo, to their first birthday with their parents. They even went through the years until they were 10 years old, with both cringing here and there as they witnessed them playing make-belief and talking to the camera as characters they watched in the popular shows during that time. There came a point towards the end of the videos where Alfred decided to slip in the  _Wedding Day_ video.

"It's getting kind of late, Alfred," Matthew said when he noticed the time while fiddling on his phone, waiting for Alfred to put the next video on. "Almost 11."

"Just this video bro, then I'm heading to bed," Alfred said, pointing at the title of cassette in his hand. "I don't think we've ever seen their wedding video. It was always in that photo album they kept."

"Yeah, Dad always said they left the video in one of the boxes back then," Matthew said as Alfred sat comfortably on the other side of Kuma, sort of leaning on both the pet and Matthew. 

Once again, the screen was black for a moment, before an image appeared on the screen. This must have been an amateur version of the wedding - the camera was obviously the same camera used in the previous videos. The wedding was held outdoors, near a reception hall that must have been further away; the wedding was taking place in a relatively small area, with a white wedding arch sitting nearby a willow tree, decorated with vines and roses. There was a long, black carpet that went through the small amount of white seats, leading to a small set of stone stairs to this wedding arch. Guests were seated about the area and were quietly chattering amongst themselves.

" _Francis, t'es pret? <Francis, are you ready?>_" a woman's voice with a French accent said as the camera panned towards the arch. Underneath, there stood Francis, his long hair pulled back in a low ponytail, wearing a black suit with a black bow tie, alongside a woman and man, both looking like they are in their late 50s. Also standing behind the small stand preoccupied with a black binder in hand, was their parents' friend, Katyusha, wearing a long violet dress, her hair adorned with a white headband.

"Hey, it's Mamé!" Alfred brimmed once he saw the woman near their Papa. 

"Then that must have been Papa's dad," Matthew replied in slight wonder. Both Matthew and Alfred have grown around Francis' mother, Marianne Bonnefoy, who they used to affectionately call Mamé until she passed when they were around 10 years old. They never met Francis' father, Laurent Bonnefoy - he passed away a few years prior to their parents adopting them. Matthew remembers how he appears through old photos Mamé would show them when they visited her in her apartment across town, oftentimes sleeping over when their parents would be out. He remembers her much differently from the video; she was a slim woman, with grey hair pulled back in a bun, though the way she dressed was much like the video. Marianne was a glamorous woman, even as an elderly woman, and it was obvious this was who Francis got not only his looks but his flair from. In the video, her hair was brown, let out in long waves, and wearing a modest light blue dress. 

" _Maman_ ," Francis could be audibly heard as Marianne fixed the white rose that was in his suit pocket.

" _Marianne, laisse le tranquille! <Marianne, leave him alone!>_" Laurent laughed, and smiled as he patted Francis on the back. 

"They were always supportive of them being together, weren't they?" Matthew said fondly, as suddenly the voices started to quiet down, and there was a melodic tune playing as the honour attendants walked down in pairs of two. They recognized each of the men who walked through the aisle - they were mostly Arthur's brothers, all wearing dark blue suits with their female counterparts wearing a dark blue dress.

"Dude, it's Uncle Sean and James," Alfred pointed out at the two men with similar carrot coloured hair. Soon, a younger man passed by the camera, with curly brown hair. "And is that...Uncle Dylan?"

Sean Kirkland was the second eldest in the Kirkland family, with Arthur following behind him, with James Kirkland following after him, then Dylan Kirkland. The similarities between the family members are evidently lacking, and their location of birth was a complex topic because their family used to move around a lot, something Matthew never attempted to question except when it was about Arthur himself. He knew they were born somewhere around Ireland and Wales, with Dylan being born in the latter country.

Soon afterwards, the camera zoomed towards the end of the aisle, where Arthur stood, led by a much taller man with red hair wearing the similar suit as the honour attendants.

Matthew instantly recognized the man with red hair as being Allister Kirkland - Arthur's eldest brother from Scotland. Out of all of their uncles, Allister was the one who was around most; the other moved out of the province, while Allister moved to the East Coast of Canada later on in their life.

"Uncle Allister was filling up Dad's parents position, right," Alfred asked, thought it was more of a statement.

"Yeah, I think Grandma Victoria was against their marriage," Matthew replied, remembering some details about Arthur's parents. "I think they even had a fight with him over it."

Matthew had met Victoria, Arthur's mother, once a year, during their yearly Christmas visit Arthur's family would do, but they barely interacted with her during her time there. She hasn't visited in a while, much less called Arthur on the phone- which makes sense when considering Arthur's relationship with his mother. They haven't gotten along too well after Arthur introduced Francis as his partner, being slightly homophobic during that time, but apparently they had that sort of weird relationship to begin with. From what Matthew remembers of Victoria, she was always uptight and had a very conservative air about her. She was incredibly picky over what Arthur does, and he remembers a lot of his scoffing comments about how rambunctious Alfred was during her visits, though she didn't mind Matthew - one might even say she was fond of him, though he wasn't fond of her.

Soon, the screen showed the ceremony. Katyusha was officiating their wedding, picking out quotes from a Bible she held in her hand here and there, speaking about love and whatnot, but it was obvious Arthur and Francis wasn't paying much attention to what she said and was staring at each other with some form of admiration. 

Matthew payed half attention to the ceremony, but he noticed how oddly absorbed Alfred was, almost like he was enjoying this. What really caught Matthew's attention was the vows that Francis and Arthur said to one another.

" _Francis...do you remember the first time we met?_ " Arthur started the vows, his voice soft and low, a piece of paper in hand. "I _was a young boy that had just moved to this small town from a country across the sea. I was quite lonely and afraid - I did not enjoy being around other children during that time, and spent my days roaming through the forest with my imagination in my backyard that would always lead to a small stream. One day, while I was playing the role of King Arthur, with my wooden sword in hand and my black cloak draped around me, I ventured down the stream, only to encounter a beautiful person around my age with a long golden hair that shone in the sun, weaving together a crown of flowers with their nimble hands. I was instantly captured by this person and enchanted by their glance as I walked up beside them. Let me spoil who that person was- it was you._ "

" _Of course this trance lasted for a mere 5 seconds until you opened that mouth of yours and spoke to me in French. And no- at that time, I would have never in a million years have though that you were my soulmate. If anything, at that moment, a fire lit up in my chest and from that day forth, we became...no not lovers, but rivals. And thus began our many years of intense rivalry- at school, I would take any opportunity to pick a fight by light insults, and when we saw each other on the riverside, we would battle it out in childish competition such as who could skip the most rocks. This went on for much longer than probably either of us anticipated- even throughout high school. But, that's not to say that slowly, and surely, I started to see you less of a rival and soon as a close friend...much sooner even more. And standing here, with you, at this very moment, I must admit that I am grateful that I took the risk to ask you to be mine._ "

" _You gave me your shoulders when I needed to cry and you gave me soft words in order to comfort me during tough times. You were the person I confided with, and you were the person who has undoubtedly supported me throughout most of my life. And for that, I am grateful that I have the opportunity to be the same to you."_

_"I vow to love you as long as I should live, to be that person that you can come to when you're feeling broken and lost. And no matter what challenges we may face, no matter how far it may carries us apart, we will always find a way to find each other and come over it together."_

_"Arthur,"_ Francis proceeded, taking a handkerchief. _"When I first met you, like you I came into this town from a different land, but unlike you I did not understand a single word in English, which is why I spoke in French. Though I remember the first thing I said to you when I saw you with your little sword- "Es-tu mon prince?" Are you my prince? Right away you spoke to me in English, and I barely understood what you said, but somehow we got along with a language barrier._ _You attempted to teach me English, and I French, though you refused to learn it. One word that I found that both languages have in common, though, is the only word I can use to describe you: 'La Perfection'. Perfection."_

_"From the frown you always wear on your face to your haughty nature, all of which people may perceive as flaws, but to me I see as perfection."_

_"I vow to love you as passionately. I vow to hold you tenderly when needed, and be patient with your stubbornness. I will speak when words are needed and share the silence when they are not. I vow to always make you tea without having you ask me. Most importantly- I vow to not waste this once in a lifetime chance to share this life alongside you. "_

The video went on, with Francis and Arthur sharing a kiss to seal the union, then holding hands and walking down the aisle, all smiles as the guests applauding and whistling in congratulation. The video went black, before returning to show what must have been the reception hall, when there was a line up of speeches from close friends and even from Arthur's siblings.

Matthew watched as Arthur and Francis smiled and laugh at the stories they shared from those who grew around them, and it ended with the first dance, to a song that had a notion of familiarity to it. While he watched, however, he suddenly felt the atmosphere change slightly, and noticed that Alfred hadn't said a word after the vows.

"What song is this again?" Matthew said, turning over to look at Alfred, who was looking down, his hair covering his eyes. "Yo, Al-" Matthew leaned forward, to take a look at his face.

Alfred had tears welling up in his eyes and streaming down his cheeks, his mouth forming a thin line like he was trying hard not to make a sound. He quickly took off his glasses and hid his face in his hands as he wiped his eyes.

"Alfred," Matthew moved to seat beside Alfred, placing a hand on his shoulder, shaking it slightly. Now, this took a different turn. Matthew felt his heart beat a bit faster, and he felt panic settle in at his brother's sudden tears, but he needed to be calm. He proceeded to talk with a softer voice, "Hey, Alfie, what's wrong? What happened?"

"I don't get it," Alfred mumbled, sniffling a bit. "I don't get it man."

"Get what?" 

"They were so happy," Alfred continued. "We were so happy...I can't believe that Papa would..."

"Alfred, what are you talking about?" Matthew said cautiously, and then it somewhat clicked that it had to do with what happened the previous night with Arthur.

"Last night," Alfred said, looking up, tears still welling up, but he had a bit more control over his voice. "Last night...after you left...Dad and his shit boyfriend broke up."

"Okay," Matthew said unsurely, still rubbing Alfred's back to comfort him. This was something they both saw coming, but Matthew didn't expect it to be so soon. Maybe that's why his Dad was in a weird daze when they drove back home - something happened beforehand.

"A-and Dad that night he went into his room and I went to mine to do some homework. I think he thought I was asleep or something, but I heard him talking," Alfred muttered. "Which then ended up to yelling, and when he suddenly stopped, I went to check on him, to see what was wrong. I-I think he called his friend or something, and he was crying and he was saying how his shitty boyfriend cheated on him..."

"That's horrible," Matthew mumbled, frowning slightly, a bad feeling in his stomach. They barely see their Dad cry, but it's the worst feeling when he does. The last time Matthew saw him cry must have been after that big fight with Francis and they stayed with Allister for a bit. Arthur locked himself in a room for a while, and every time Matthew passed by, he could hear him sobbing through the closed door.

Alfred wasn't like Matthew when it came to witnessing emotions. Matthew was always more incline to feel what the other person feels in the moment. When he heard Arthur sob or see he was in a sad mood, Matthew always felt sad and on the verge of tears. Alfred was the type to brood around for a bit like he did today, and hide it, only to admit how he felt in a sudden outburst when he was alone or in the company of Matthew. Though Alfred rarely cried - he expressed it through anger, so to have Alfred cry like this makes the situation that happened worse.

 _I should have stayed yesterday,_ Matthew thought, and said, "Why didn't you call me? You know I would've came..."

"It was almost midnight when this happened," Alfred waved it off, his voice low. "And I don't think you would've wanted to hear what Dad said; Mattie, he was on the ground bawling. He was a mess and...he said something...else...that I shouldn't have heard..."

"Did he...say something about Papa?" Matthew asked, remembering Alfred's reaction to the video.

No response. Alfred looked slightly away, keeping his mouth shut.

"Alfred," Matthew said, still with his soft voice, but a bit stronger than before. Matthew could feel his stomach churn at Alfred's silence. "What did Dad say..."

"He said 'Why am I always the one that ends up like this'..." Alfred said slowly, still not looking up. "And that...it was exactly like what Papa did to him for so long..."

Matthew felt his heart drop, and he froze slightly.  _No way..._

"You mean...you mean that Papa cheated on Dad?"

No response.

Matthew didn't know what to do as Alfred leaned forward on his shoulder, other then pull him into a silent hug.

* * *

 "Fuck math," Gilbert proclaimed as he threw his pencil across the table to the wall. "Gilbird, I have something to tell you...Imma drop out and be a stripper."

"Cheep cheep~" Gilbird fluttered on top of his textbook, tilting his head to the side, nuzzling Gilbert's hand.

"You're right...I have to have some sort of skills to be one," Gilbert sighed as he took his pencil again and leaned back into his chair. "Never mind...now that I think about, dancing and dealing with creepy customers is a lot harder than math."

"Cheep," Gilbird nodded, before flying away to their cage to munch on the snacks that hung on one side.

"Well, " Gilbert grumbled, sliding his calculator closer to him. "Let's try this again..."

After Matthew left the Music Room, Gilbert stayed behind with Roderich and Elizabetha to practice the piece a bit longer, though throughout the rest of the time, Elizabetha mostly mocked him for how he was.

_"You couldn't have been more obvious!" She said as they walked towards the bus stop Gilbert always stood by. "But I'm telling you right now, Matthew was definitely flirting with you."_

_"No way," Gilbert scoffed, but he felt his heart flutter. "He definitely was."_

_"He asked you to teach him how to play the flute."_

_"Yeah and you asked me too," Gilbert brushed off. "Does that mean you were flirting with me?"_

_"It was the way he looked at you when he said it," Elizabetha rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't even know if someone was flirting until they say it to your face, I swear. Getting you two together is going to be easier than I thought."_

_"Whatever."_

"Whatever," Gilbert shook his head. He promised himself not to get his hopes up before he knows for sure how Matthew feels first.

Gilbert had arrived home to an empty house. For the rest of the evening until dinner time, he was scrolling through the internet, mindlessly looking at random blogs he found. He had taken Matthew's word for writing - maybe he should start journaling or start a blog. He did end up making one on a website, and he made his first post, initially being three simple words :  _Today was okay._  

What started as three words ended being a short compilation of his day. He even mentioned his crush once, which he wanted to erase, but decided against it.  _Nobody is even going to read this shit,_ Gilbert thought as he pressed the post button, feeling a bit good about that word vomit.

Dinner arrived soon after, and he realized that nobody had come home. He didn't even bother to text Ludwig - he was probably with his friends, like he should. Ludwig was always orderly and uptight - back in Berlin, he avoided going out with friends ever since the accident. So to see Ludwig making friends and reintegrating into social life normally like that made Gilbert feel happy. That and he noticed how much he's been spending time with his little Italian friend, a boy named Feliciano; coincidentally, this Italian friend was Lovino's younger brother, which he found out while talking to Feliciano.

He made himself a sandwich, grabbed a cup of coffee and went back into his room, happily munching on his food as he found a TV show on the laptop to watch.

Past 7, and he got bored of watching the show, that he ended up deciding to catch up with homework instead of doing it last minute. A first for the young German.

And now here Gilbert was. Struggling over this stupid math problem that Ms. Khemet assigned the class. It was probably one of the harder ones that she assigned, so his struggle was reasonable- surprisingly, he's been having a nice time solving these problems.

"Maybe I have to split it like this," Gilbert mumbled to himself, before thinking for a moment. He smiled to himself deviously. Or maybe he can just ask Matthew to ask him to help him tomorrow during lunch. It would be the perfect excuse to hang out with Matthew. "I can even stare at his cute little face."

A sudden image of Matthew close to him appeared in Gilbert's head and he started to blush, clutching his heart as he banged his head on the table.

"Gilbird, why do I like him so much!?" he scoffed loudly, but Gilbird ignored him and replied with the sound of clacking. 

There was a sharp knock on the door, and Gilbert immediately sat up, surprised by the sound. He had thought he was home alone- he was taking the liberty to talk loudly to himself and Gilbird. 

"...Bruder?" A low voice came through the door, which he instantly recognised as Ludwig's.

 _When did he get home?_ Gilbert took a deep breath, trying to calm his heart and prayed he wasn't blushing when he said, "Yeah?"

The door opened slowly, and there stood Ludwig...or what seemed to be Ludwig. He was wearing a hoodie with an evident stain on the front and sweatpants, his hair in a slight mess and underneath his eyes he had slight dark circle, an unusual appearance on the boy who is usually clean cut.

"What's up, Ludwig?" Gilbert asked, moving his chair to look at him. "When did you get home?"

"I was always home, but I fell asleep at 5," Ludwig replied, his voice hoarse. "Did Opa come home yet?"

"No, but there's leftovers downstairs," Gilbert replied. "I didn't know you were home- I would've made you a sandwich. I thought you were out with your friends."

"Oh..." Ludwig's voice suddenly fell flat, and he glanced away, scratching the back of his neck. Immediately, Gilbert knew something was off. "No, I didn't...I just came straight home."

"Really? 'Cause I thought you'd be with that Feliciano kid," Gilbert said, and he could see Ludwig tense up immediately. Gilbert paused, and looked at Ludwig for a moment. Matthew did ask if something was wrong with Ludwig today. Something must have happened to make Matthew ask him that. "Did you get into a fight with him?"

"No," Ludwig said quickly, thought it was easy to tell it was bull. Gilbert narrowed his eyes, staring at Ludwig, who quickly added,  "...Not exactly."

"C'mon," Gilbert sighed, getting up from his chair and walking towards the door of his room. Ludwig obviously had a shit day, and Gilbert was going to attempt to fix it somehow. "I'll make you something to eat."

"If it's going to be Instant Noodles, I can make it myself," Ludwig started as he followed Gilbert down the floor to the staircase.

"Harsh. At least give your awesome brother some credit when it comes to cooking," Gilbert grinned at Ludwig's cheeky comment. "You don't mind helping me, right?"

"I don't, but what are we going to be making?" Ludwig asked, beginning to roll up his sleeves. 

"How doest _Käsespätzle_ sound?" Gilbert replied and Ludwig just silently nodded. Gilbert found it weird how silent he was being, so he tried making a light joke. "Maybe we can even bake a cake, since I know you like baking and shit."

"No, it's alright," Ludwig replied lightly, though he smiled slightly. "I don't want you burning the kitchen down. Making  _Käsespätzle_ should be good."

"You're definitely my number one fan," Gilbert tried sounding sarcastic, but he's glad that Ludwig wasn't being all quiet.

 _Käsespätzle_ is a more so of a traditional German comfort food that Gilbert decided to pick up from an old lady that lived next door in their neighbourhood they lived in. It was a dish more or less like the American macaroni and cheese, but made with noodles containing egg and topped with baked onions. A kind of complex dish requiring the person to make it from scratch, but it was worth the effort. During that time, their mother was going through a time where she was busy with work and didn't have time to make food, Gilbert would tend to make this for Ludwig, mostly to make him feel better by preoccupying him with making it. 

They went onto the kitchen, bringing out the flour and eggs, and started to make the  _Käsespätzle_. Ludwig just silently did whatever Gilbert told him to do, while Gilbert attempted to fill in the silence by talking nonsense, as he always does. While they waited for the food to bake in the oven, Gilbert went ahead to make _Heisse Schokola_ , or hot chocolate. The only difference is that they used real chocolate rather than powdered, and Gilbert knows how much Ludwig likes sweets - since he can't whip up a cake for him, this was the second best thing to put him in a better mood.

"You don't have to," Ludwig said from the kitchen table when he noticed what Gilbert was doing.

"Don't worry about it, it's for me too," Gilbert lied, as he put all the ingredients in the pot, the milk jug nearby. He hated sweet things, but at least this hot chocolate uses dark chocolate. Once he was done, he poured it into two cups and brought it to the table, sitting across from Ludwig, waiting for food to finish. 

Ludwig stared into the hot chocolate, taking small sips here and there. Gilbert continued to glance at him, trying to think of how to ask him what was wrong. 

Gilbert's method was usually just to bluntly ask him what's wrong. It would have been better if he had known what happened to Ludwig during the day - if he was in a fight, he could use that as a conversation starter. Just say, " _So...I heard you got into a fight today"._ He could bring Matthew up without dropping his name, by saying ' _I heard you were quiet during class...what's up with that?_ ' but the only person who talks to him from his gym class was Matthew. Or maybe he should just directly say, _'What's wrong',_ like he intentionally planned, without that whole extra segway jargon...

"I got into a fight after third period," Ludwig started, interrupting Gilbert's thought. Ludwig looked up to Gilbert with cool blue eyes, his brows pulled in. 

"Uh," Gilbert cleared his throat quickly.  _Or we can go with that._ "Was it a fight fight or-"

"Could've been, but it was mostly arguing," Ludwig said, before stopping quickly. "Well...more like I threatened someone."

"Damn, who was the unlucky kid?" Gilbert asked, taking a sip from his drink.

"A friend," Ludwig said. "Or acquaintance. I don't know. I kind of hang out with him. Yong Soo."

"Yong Soo?" Gilbert said, trying to think of all the people his brother named. There was Feliciano, Kiku, Matthew's annoying brother, Birdie, and the rest ends up blurring. 

"Yeah, he's in my Gym class, remember? He's more of a class friend, thought," Ludwig said. "After today, I don't know if I want to see him much outside of class."

"Why, what did the kid do?" Gilbert asked, attempting to follow along to what Ludwig was going to say. 

"So, you know how we started Health today?" Ludwig asked. "I assume you know because you talk to Matthew."

"Yeah, he mentioned something like that," Gilbert replied. 

"Yes, so we're starting to learn about drugs and all that crap," Ludwig continued, his finger tapping the side of the cup he held. "And, some guy in our class asked Mr. Lars whether he did anything...surely as a joke."

"Let me guess - Mr. Lars admitted he did some shit when he was younger?"

"You know?" Ludwig asked, his face looking slightly confused. 

"I think anyone who took that class with him does," Gilbert sighed. "He doesn't really hide it- he does it so you kids can learn an insider's point of view, you know? Somehow get you guys to open up or some shit. I don't know, I was half asleep during that class. What about it, though? Did someone flip their shit? There's always some bratty kid who feels attacked over it for some reason."

"That kid would be Yong Soo," Ludwig grit his teeth. "He even went as far as to question Opa's authority for allowing him to teach."

"They always do," Gilbert replied. "It's like they don't understand that people can change, ya know?"

"Exactly what i thought," Ludwig replied. "So I defended him."

"And you got mad at this kid because he was complaining?" Gilbert asked, and he could see Ludwig tense up. 

"No..." Ludwig said. "I was already pissed off at something else...so I didn't really have time to sit through him complaining. He said something else..."

A pause.

"...about you."

 _Of course._ Gilbert wanted to roll his eyes so far back, but he stopped himself from doing it.

"What did the kid say?"

"...Said I was only defending him because you're a crack addict." Ludwig rubbed the back of his head. "And it felt he might have implied I do it too."

Gilbert felt a lump in his chest, and he quickly took a sip, but his grip on his cup tighten. It's one thing talking shit about him- but about Ludwig? No way would Gilbert allow someone talk shit like that about Ludwig.

"That little shit," Gilbert grumbled. "How could he say that about you...What's his name again? Does he live on res?"

"Whu- I said he said it about you first. Why are you worried about the last part?"

"I don't care what people say about me, Ludwig," Gilbert replied quickly. "I heard that shit plenty of times, I couldn't give two shits cause it's not true. But if someone talks shit about you, you know I'm gonna have a talk with them about that."

"Please don't beat him up," Ludwig mumbled. "You had your time in Berlin- and this isn't that serious. He apologized to me after school. Like an actual apology, saying he was out of line, and he'll make it up to me."

"He shouldn't have said that to you in the first place," Gilbert shook his head. "Should've said it to Opa's face."

"It's not a big deal," Ludwig sighed. "It's something else that put me in a bad mood today."

"What, did someone reject you?" Gilbert joked, and Ludwig grinned.

"Why is that your go-to answer?"

"Because you're a hopeless romantic," Gilbert replied light. "Don't deny it, Ludwig- I know you read romantic novels when no one's watching."

"If anything, it sounds like you're the hopeless romantic," Ludwig replied. "I heard you say 'Why do I like him so much' before I knocked on the door. Who do you like?"

"Who are you asking me questions like that?" Gilbert scoffed, taking the cup to his face so he could hide his sheepish grin. "My brother?"

"Yes, I have been for the past 14 years," Ludwig rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I don't really care."

"So not awesome," Gilbert mumbled, and silence returned to them, but it was much more comfortable than before.

"Hey," Ludwig started again, in a more serious tone. "I know you don't like to talk about the past that much but...can I ask you something?"

"...Yeah," Gilbert said in a cautious voice. "Go ahead."

"Did we ever take a trip outside of Germany before?" Ludwig asked. Gilbert slightly frowned, and leaned back into his chair, thinking. At least it didn't have to do about their family situation.

"Uhh, I think we did for a summer with Opa," Gilbert said, then he remembered a small detail. "Oh shit. I think we did, but this was long back. I think you were gonna turn 7 and I was 8...yeah, we went to some countryside in Italy during the summer with just Opa. I don't remember the trip much, but the only things I do remember it was some boring village with a windmill near a river and you were trying to pick up Italian.Why?"

"...I'll tell you," Ludwig started. "But you better not laugh at me, alright?"

 _Now that you said that, it must be something embarrassing,_ Gilbert thought, but he just said, "I won't."

"You promise?" To that, Gilbert stopped grinning, and he knew it was going to be something that shouldn't exit the room.

"Cross my heart," Gilbert replied, doing an x over his chest.

"I keep having this dream," Ludwig said, glancing away. "I don't know where I am, but I'm in this big field with all these different flowers. A-And..." Ludwig stopped, looking at Gilbert, but continued. "There's this person there with me - a girl in a green dress and short brown hair. I think she's the same age as me, but I don't know. Sometimes she appears younger and I do too. She is always giving me these flower crowns and...hugging me... I ask her who she is, but she doesn't understand what I'm saying and I think she speaks Italian-"

"Okay, Ludwig," Gilbert interrupted suddenly. "If you're having a dream about a girl, I would advise you to ask Mr. Lars what that might mean...since he's you're Sex Ed teacher and all. I know you're at that age where you'll start to imagine things-"

"Oh my god! It's not like that!" Ludwig sputtered, turning red, and standing up from his seat. "How- Why would you even- Why did I even bother telling you!"

"L-Ludwig, I was just joking," Gilbert quickly said as he got up from his chair. 

"I just wanted to know if we ever went to Italy," Ludwig mumbled, his face still red. "And if I ever met anyone there."

"That I don't know," Gilbert replied, pulling Ludwig back into his seat. "Sorry little brother, but the only thing I remember from that trip was how the village looked and what you did. I don't even think there was a flower field there. Just farmlands and a shitty windmill." Ludwig gave him a questionable look. "And I swear, that's all I know."

Ludwig didn't say anything for a moment, and just sighed. "It's alright...It was just a stupid dream. I'm sure it didn't mean anything. Whatever."

The oven suddenly beeped, signifying the  _Käsespätzle_ was done baking. 

"I'll go get that," Ludwig said before quickly walking into the kitchen, leaving Gilbert behind. 

Gilbert just stood there, reflecting on what Ludwig said. His heart partly dropped when what Ludwig had asked him settle in, and he couldn't help but panic a bit. If he's remembering something that happened when he was only 7, then that must mean he's slowly gaining his memory. And if that happens well...that might do more harm than good for Ludwig.

"Gilbert? Can you set the rack on the table?" Ludwig called from the kitchen.

"I'm on it," Gilbert replied, going into the kitchen to do as Ludwig asked, trying his best to suppress his memories.


	22. Feeling better

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was long overdue, but I managed to finish this somewhat- I was conflicted about whether to write more for this chapter, but this was meant to be more of a filler than before the next event that happens that mostly concerns FrUk and PruCan (I have a set timeline of when the two get together, so I'm filling up the gaps as I go along the weeks). I kept having to fix any inconsistencies and making it more realistic lol.
> 
> Since the wedding video was received nicely, i decided that half of this chapter is dedicated to the afterparty - which means more FrUk stuff yayy :D (I had to listen to a lot of 90s songs for this part...since marriage equality was granted in Canada in 2004, I sort of use that as a reference point for ages and stuff). There's a bit more of PruCan in this too in the second half though, so dw, it's still a PruCan story xD
> 
> Anywhosies, thank you guys so much for the kudos and the comments so far! I really appreciate them all! The comments especially help me get through writing this chapter, so a big thanks to ZeldaBlack, TumblrSquirrel, and BearBooper for always being a source of inspiration and excitement for the chapters ^_^ Another huge thanks to 5ft8in_fangirl for allowing me to discuss this chapter with her!
> 
> IMPORTANT NOTES:  
> Mr. Janssen - So, I decided to change Netherlands name to something that makes more sense (i came up with his name when i didn't think much about it) so from now on, his name is Lars Janssen ^_^  
> Leon - Hong Kong  
> Sadiq - Turkey  
> Mohammad - Egypt  
> Eliska - Czech  
> João - Portugal  
> Krishna Rangarajan - India

Arthur decided to skip the next day, not much to Matthew's surprise. Matthew would have thought he would skip the next day of his break up with Peter Johnson (or whatever that douche's name was), but he assumed that after his anger faze, the depressing stage settled in. Matthew and Alfred knew this when Alfred received a text from Arthur the morning they were getting ready to head off to school.

Matthew wanted to skip school too, but he obviously couldn't. Arthur hadn't told Alfred directly - Alfred just stood in the hallway as he quietly listened to Arthur spill his guts to whoever was on the phone. 

_"It was scary," Alfred mumbled, still curled in the blanket Matthew had brought down for them to share while watching the movie. "I don't think I've heard him like that before...he sounded so broken...and I couldn't do anything about it..."_

His poor brother was mostly sobbing while talking and Matthew had to try his best not to, putting him to sleep by putting on a comedic animated film on that he knew would brighten both their moods. Despite this, they were both tired from the revelation; or more so it was Matthew who was. Alfred, after letting it out of his system, felt much chipper the next morning, while Matthew attempted to keep up with him as usual.

The day drawled on. Matthew dragged himself to each class, paying half attention to the lectures and attempting to take half decent notes. Gilbert had asked him to help him with Math during lunch - Matthew was able to ask Elizabetha about that Library Assistance group and he was able to go after school to the library to sign up. Gilbert joined him, attempting to talk here and there, but Matthew made the atmosphere cold, and Matthew knew it - he didn't make any snarky comments or contributed. He just said 'mhm' with a small smile. Not to say that Matthew didn't enjoy the other's company; he just didn't know what to say.

Alfred had a football game after school, and Matthew let Gilbert hang out with his friends and he watched Alfred's game, along with Carlos and Kiku, something they started to do since Alfred's season started. Usually, other people from their group would be there, but this time he got to spend some time with the two, munching on ice cream that Carlos bought from the convenience store despite the fact that they had to wear sweaters because it was chilly. 

Alfred stayed behind to get help from Kiku for their science homework, so Matthew decided to go straight to Francis' place. Alfred was going to stay over again, so Matthew wasn't going to be alone that night. He thought that they should have went to Arthur's place - Matthew was worried what he would do if he was left alone, much more being in the state he was in, but he also didn't want to raise any suspicion; he said he'd stay over for the weekend already, so suddenly appearing would have been weird.

 _Or maybe he'd like it,_ Matthew thought as he tightened his scarf around his neck, approaching his house. Fall was settling in nicely, but he knew winter might come earlier than usual. He noticed that Francis' car wasn't in the driveway, and he immediately knew he wasn't home. He couldn't help but be relieved when he entered the cold house, a stark contrast from what he usually felt. He was happy that he completely missed Francis that morning while getting ready.

Matthew can't bear to think of him, much less look at Francis and say 'Good morning'. He wasn't sure how to handle what Arthur had said about Francis. It didn't make sense- it was completely impossible that Francis would do that. Or, maybe, Matthew just wished it was impossible. He only knew a side of Francis; as his parent. He wasn't at that age - or stage- to really know Francis as other than a loving parent. Even with his alcoholic tendencies, he was still a loving parent (which has decreased, but Matthew still has slight suspicions). 

Kumajiki greeted Matthew with a 'who?' from his sleeping spot on the couch, while Matthew went ahead to the kitchen to find some food left on the stove, the thought of Francis slipping into his mind. 

His stomach turned, and Matthew took a deep breathe to not cry right then and there. 

He did his usual routine - with Gilbert he finished his Math homework, and with Business, he had to tamper with Photoshop to create an ad for a Halloween catalogue. He had started it with Ravis, taking the period to make a scheme and whatnot. He didn't have to start on it right away, but he may as well distract himself somehow.

Alfred still wasn't home by the time Matthew was done, but who was home to care other than Matthew? He texted Alfred, who replied right away saying he was on his way in 5 minutes- code word for an hour.

"What do I do now?" He said out loud as he filled Kumajiji's bowl with the previous day's beef _bourbignion_. The family had attempted to teach the pet to eat regular pet kibble, but Kuma decided he was too superior for such food, and would only eat what they ate. 

"Who?" Kuma mumbled in response, happily chowing down.

"You're right, who cares," Matthew sighed, as he glanced over to the TV. The living room was neat and clean - Matthew ended up bringing the box in the basement, stowing it away in a corner, and hoped he could forget about it.

But there were so many cassettes he didn't go through...and last night he missed some things...

 _Calm down,_ Matthew reminded himself, as he slipped a cassette into the VCR player, a chip bag and soda in front of him. His bad mood came with him being a bit gluttonous for junk food. Hopefully Alfred won't kill him for taking the last soda.

The video played, and again the familiar backdrop of the white chairs and the altar played before him. The moment he saw Francis, smiling and grinning, his eyes prickled with tears. How did Alfred manage to watch through all those videos without crying? Matthew grabbed a fistful of chips and chewed mercilessly.

 _"You may now kiss and join in union as husband and husband,"_ Katyusha pronounced, and thus, he watch as their union sealed again. 

When did Francis and Arthur get married again?  _When Dad was 22 and almost finished his teaching degree,_ Matthew remembered over what they had told him before. Arthur did attempt to fast track high school and got in a year earlier, from what he told Matthew and Alfred.   _And they adopted us two years later. So Dad was 24 when they adopted us fully and Papa 27..._

 _Dad was too young,_  Matthew thought melancholically, washing the chips down with the soda, as he them walking down the aisle once again, flower petals thrown on them as they walked. The camerawoman just walked around, her voice somewhat familiar to Matthew. He must have met her when he was much younger, but he couldn't put a name on her voice.

The camerawoman walked around as guests were talking, eating the hors d'oeuvres and enjoying the cocktails presented by the waiters, while presenting the hall. It wasn't a big hall - there were a few round tables here and there, with a table at the front near a white wedding cake, however, the decorations were beautiful and simple. There were a string of fairy lights behind the front table, and the read and white roses in the centrepieces were a nice touch.

The camerawoman asked the guests if they wanted anything to say to the new couple. Matthew vaguely recognized a lot of them as Arthur's and Francis' colleagues that he stayed in touch with. There was a group that Matthew immediately knew, however, as Arthur's teacher friends that he works with at the Academy.

" _Hey Emcee! Are you ready to carry this show?_ " the camerawoman asked as she approached the three teachers that Matthew knew - there was Katyusha, of course, but also João Santos and Krishna Rangarajan. 

From what he knows, João was a close friend that Arthur met through Katyusha in high school, unlike Katyusha who Arthur met in elementary school after skipping grade 6, ending up in Katyusha's grade 7 class. He's the Geography teacher at the academy, the one that Yong Soo and Tinos complained about. Matthew hasn't seen him much since the beginning of the school year, though Joao has been around here and there. He was a fairly tall main, with an average build, tan skin and shaggy brown hair that was always pulled back in a ponytail. Matthew remembers him as being cheerful, and usually the one to make fun of Arthur to rile him up.

Krishna, on the other hand, was a friend from the teacher's college Arthur went to. They don't see him as much as Katyusha and João, though he does know them. He particularly knows Alfred, being his Science teacher and all, which makes it hard on Alfred, who often gets told ' _If you don't finish your homework on time, I'll be sure to send Arthur a text about it.'_ If there was one word to describe him, it would definitely be more princely - he's more carefree than Arthur, though, and much more cheerful. Krishna is relatively shorter than João, with brown skin and black hair cut short and slicked back, but the way he stood up straight would make it seem like he wasn't as short as he actually is.

" _I was born ready,_ " Krishna said with a grin, waving the paper he had slightly. " _Like they say in English, I got this in the bag. Right guys? That is what they say...right..._ "

" _You're asking the wrong people, we've lived here for almost a decade but we don't understand nor use those idioms_ ," João joked, while Katyusha just giggled. 

" _It's longer than me_ ," Krishna sighed, as he faced the camera. " _And what_ _are you doing, my friend?_ "

" _Unofficial camerawoman_ ," the person replied. " _Trying to get everyone to say their blessings. João, you got anything to say? Nice tie, by the way. Harry Potter?_ "

" _Yeah,_ _I'm only wearing this because it's the only thing me, Francis, and Arthur liked when it came to books,"_ João replied, pointing at the green tie with silver and black stripes. " _Even though I'm a Gryffindor, Arthur is a Slytherin, so I decided to rep my rival house today. Anyways, as for my blessings,_ _I'll just say good job kiddos, you're way ahead of life than me. Thanks for inviting an old friend to this blessed unions, and I would like to say more, but I'll be giving my full blessings during the free for all speeches,_ " João said with a wink, taking a long sip from his wine glass. " _Make sure to get it **all**  on tape._"

" _You got it boss. And what about our beautiful officiator? Excellent job, by the way._ "

" _Thank you,_ " Katyusha said with a smile, as she thought for a bit. " _Well, I'm giving a short speech too, but right now, I'll just say this: I knew Arthur and Francis way before they dated, and I honestly did not imagine this would happen._ "

" _Yeah, when Artie said that he saw him as a rival, he was not kidding,_ " João said. " _Everyday they would always argue about the dumbest things... remember that time they spend hours in the arcade just trying to one up each other in Mortal Kombat? That was the only way Arthur could beat Francis up without being physical. Well now they can get physical all they want, if you know what I mean-_ "

" _Hey_ , _I'm going to mention all that in my speech, so don't spoil it!_ " Katyusha laughed, and João just shook his head. " _But, anyways, to Arthur and Francis, I hope you two have a long and fulfilling life together as loving companions. I wish the very best for you two and your marriage._ "

" _Aww, you're such a sap, Kat_ ," João could be heard, taking another long sip from the glass of wine, and soon the video cut to other's blessings, before the camera switched towards a set of open window doors that led to what appeared a balcony. The sun has set and it was dark on the other side.

Krishna, the Emcee, started his opening line, and then started to introduce the honour attendees, then the partner's parents - or more so, Francis' parents. Allister walked through with his brother, Dylan, doing a little dance to the beat of the music.

" _And finally, the reason we are all gathered here today, the lovely grooms, Francis and Arthur!_ " Krishna said as the two walk through the doors, hand in hand. Matthew felt second hand embarrassment from watching his parents attempt to dance to Beyonce, but they were obviously having a lot of fun as they tried to stay on beat. They had changed out of their suits from the wedding to a matching set of dark blue suits.

They then proceeded with the typical mother-son dance between Francis and Marianne, them waltzing to  _La Vie en Rose_ by Edith Piaf, a familiar tune that Matthew would usually hear Francis whistle. To Matthew's surprise (along with Arthur in the video), Allister decided come to the centre of the stage- Krishna announcing ' _the newest wedding trend, brother-brother dance!'_ \- and pulled Arthur up from his chair to waltz with him to The Beatles' _In my Life_ , an obvious last minute change to something Allister must have planned. It was more of an entertaining waltz than the touching one of Francis and Marianne, with both of Arthur and Allister attempting to take the lead, dramatically dipping and twirling one another. 

Eventually the speeches, with Marianne and Laurent proposing a toast to their ' _handsome son and his equally handsome son-in-law_ ', along with a short spiel of wisdom for the new couple. Next were speeches colleagues and friends that Francis and Arthur knew growing up, with tales of how they met either one of the couple or them together, before progressively making it's way towards the closer friends. Dinner was served in the middle, though speech continued during it.

Krishna decided to do his speech. He gave a quick spiel about himself - he went to the same teacher's college as Arthur, and it was his first semester.

" _I know I don't know Arthur as long as everyone else in this room,_ " Krishna said gesturing to Arthur. " _But he is probably my closest friend since I first came here. I came to Canada for my bachelor's degree, wanting to immigrate here with my family, and found the opportunity to do so for work if I became a teacher. This was the climax of the event that happened in America in 2001, and there were a lot of people there who were wary around me. Actually that's how me and Arthur met formally. See, we often saw each other in the classes we shared in first semester, but we never spoke to each other, mostly because I majored in Life Sciences and I never had to actually communicate with classmates in group discussions._   _As we all know, Arthur is an incredibly opinionated person, so of course he would always have something to say - or argue- during these discussions._

_"The first time I spoke to him was in the middle of the semester. As I mentioned before, this was during the aftermath of that tragedy, and there was increasing racial tensions, and although I know people were wary around me and others like me, I was fortunate not to be face to face with danger - until I decided to go to a coffee shop quickly before class. Just a casual thing that I normally do. And that's when this man who I didn't know started saying all these racially antagonizing  things, and even threatened me. I felt humiliated of course - but I mostly feared for my life. Don't worry - this story has a good ending."_

_"Arthur was standing nearby, getting his usual tea, when this happened. What happened next was completely unpredictable, but Arthur decided to walk casually by the guy, and pretend to trip, spilling his tea all over this guy's pants! And I stood there, in shock, as this guy started to angrily curse Arthur off, even threatening Arthur, who, without batting an eye, says - well, I can't say what Arthur said because this is a PG event, but I can say he told this guy to go-starts with F and rhymes with tuck-himself.There was someone else there who came to my defence, who is now our friend Amira, cursing the guy off along with Arthur. It came to the point were both of them were ready to punch the guy, but before they could, security had to escort all three of us out of the premises - for some reason, we were all banned from going there."_

_"This is something we still bring up,"_ Krishna continued.  _"Arthur always says he should've punched the guy, but we all know he would be too afraid to get in trouble. That's how I met Arthur, and how I started to hang out with him. I met Francis shortly afterwards, and I must say, I have never seen two more opposite personalities together than you too. But for some reason, you two fit each other nicely. Francis is the funny, charming one, while Arthur's humour is...well...let's say he's the only one who laughs at his own jokes."_ Arthur shook his head, but laughed, and Krishna continued to end it with a cliche ' _I hope you two have a fulfilling life together_ '. 

Katyusha went next with a similar speech to Krishna - they met when Katyusha first immigrated to Canada, and helped her with English and communication. Katyusha mentioned how feisty Arthur was back then, and how he still was, how beneath that frown there was a much kinder soul.

They then did the cake cutting, to which it was served to guests. João stumbled on to the stage, and Matthew could see that he was slightly drunk from the alcohol.

 _"Fraaancis my man!"_ João exclaimed, a glass of wine in hand.  _"Even though I've known young Artie longer than you, I love you much more! Man... I've known you two for too long. How many years- I think it's gonna be almost a decade soon! Meu Deus, I feel like it was just yesterday when we were a bunch of teenagers, trying to watch rent out_ Titanic _without our parents finding out because the scenes were just too much for our pure, 14 year old eyes, and listening to that same_ Spice Girls _song even though we didn't want to admit we liked it. Did you guys know that Arthur and Francis kept competing on who danced_ Wannabe _better? Yeah, that was an actual thing. I had the video of it and everything, but I don't have it on me at the moment. Arthur wasn't kidding during their vows - they fought over the pettiest things. They would even try to learn to sing_ Backstreet Boys _songs too, and try to sing better than the other. God, they were both awful at it, every time we turned on the radio, I had to hope they weren't going to burst out singing when that song came on."_

_"You know, everyone who has met Arthur so far have been saying all this heartfelt meetings of him helping them with a smile and being polite, but it was completely opposite for me. I met Arthur first through Katyusha - see, Katyusha and I had an English class together in grade 9, and I just came from Portugal the year before, and this English teacher an entire essay by ourselves, right. It would've been fine if this guy wasn't picky about the words we used and I still had a hard time writing full answers. And I said to Kat 'Damn, Kat, I need some help with this essay, do you know anyone that's good with this stuff?" and Kat said her friend Arthur helped her, that he was some kid from Britain who was good with English."_

_"I went with Katyusha to see him before lunch, he had Gym class and they were playing dodgeball. This guy - the amount of curse words that flew out of his mouth was too much. And the entire time that Katyusha introduced us, he had this frown, and said in the most annoyed voice, 'do I have to?.' Yeah, he was really mean to me. Not to say I didn't make fun of him too, so we were even when it came to being rude to each other."_

_"We only started to get along because we both had a passion for one thing - Harry Potter. We liked it before it was cool to like it! Of course, I am the courageous Gryffindor, while Arthur is a Slytherin, but we got along when we had to. Yeah, me and Artie went through a lot together. I helped the guy out a lot. He helped me with my English homework, I helped him with dyeing his hair green - yes, Arthur was a punk back then, we all saw it. Francis tried to talk him out of it too, but Arthur was determined to be a rebellious punk that was against his parents. He even would steal his Mum's eyeliner and wear it when he got to school, and even changed out of his preppy clothes to band shirts. I have so many pictures of his punk faze, I wish I had it on me...Oh wait, I do!"_ João gestured towards where Sean and James were with a projector, facing against the wall. The projector flashed on, and the film zoomed in to Arthur and Francis' reaction. Arthur was evidently turning red with embarrassment, while Francis was almost curled over, laughing.

Lo and behold, there was a picture of a younger Arthur, who was clearly in his early teen years, with the tips of his blond hair dyed green, adorned leather jacket, a band shirt, evident piercings on one ear and a choker around his neck. Matthew could see a lip piercing on his bottom lip. He had his iconic frown when he noticed that João was taking the photo, arms crossed. " _This faze went all the way into grade 11. Yes - Artie was into_ Green Day _. No - that lip piercing was fake. He dyed his hair different colours, not just green. We have the infamous red hair in grade 10."_ The photo changed to another photo of Arthur, in a similar outfit before, a _Ramones_ shirt instead with a plaid shirt, his hair nearly fully coloured in a vibrant red _._

 _"This is when he started wearing a bit of eyeliner too. The red eventually faded to a_ pink," another photo of Arthur with pink hair, now with more piercing along his ear.

" _And finally, his hair dying adventures ended with the horror that was his Kool-Aid blue hair in grade 11, which started to turn green after three weeks,"_ The next photo was again of Arthur, a bit toned down with the punk, he was holding up a board, probably in the middle of a protest. 

 _"_ _Now, this was at a protest all of us went to, mostly because Francis was also avidly against the government. I can see Francis is laughing at Arthur, but let's say Francis looked pretty ridiculous back then too."_ The image of Arthur quickly disappeared, and there Francis was, a pair of sunglasses on his face, his cap backwards, and baggy white overalls with those oversized plaid shirts. Now Arthur was laughing, but Francis had a face that was both amused and cringing. " _This is what I had to grow up with! Now imagine these two together..._ "

Another photo, both of Matthew's parents together on a field of grass, in the middle of a conversation, with Katyusha apart of it, but Arthur was leaning towards Francis in laughter. The contrast was stark - Francis must have taken inspiration from vibrant 90s rappers while Arthur took his style from the dark colours of punks.

 _"Aww, they look so cute together, don't they? I was actually the one who had to tell Francis that Artie like him, contrary to what he said during the vows. That's right, without me, we wouldn't be here today - all I have to say is you're welcome,"_  João grinned, doing a slight bow. " _Though, me and Katyusha could feel all that tension between them way before that, we were just waiting until Artie finally admitted it so we could tell Francis and they can finally get a room! Which they may or may not have done....aw Artie, don't give me that look! It's a joke - or is it?"_ João's speech were riddled with more jokes, and finally, he was off the stage thanks to Katyusha helping him after making a toast and taking another sip from the glass.

Allister and Dylan did a speech together, similar to João, but was more sentimental by showing support for them.

" _No matter what Artie, we got your back_ ," Allister noted during his speech. " _And if you want to spend the rest of your life with a guy - and especially a guy like Francis- you know we're gonna support you."_

After they're speech, Dylan ended up announcing that the dance floor is now open, starting with the couple dance - _At Last_ by Etta James. And so Arthur and Francis did their dance, a waltz which mostly was them swaying closely. Matthew could see from the camera angle that Francis was singing the words, to which Arthur would roll his eyes, but would listen.

The clip soon ended when the song changed to a pop song, and people started to join in. 

Matthew sat there, staring at the black screen, not knowing what to do. Now he felt what Alfred was feeling. He felt his heart drop when he thought about the case where Francis did cheat on Arthur, breaking the family apart to whatever this situation they were in now.

 _It really doesn't make sense_ , Matthew thought, tears prickling in his eyes but he stopped himself quickly when he heard the door suddenly open, knowing it was Alfred. 

"Yo Matt! You here?" Alfred called from the door.

"Living room!" Matthew called back as he got up and took out the cassette, slipping it in the space behind the VCR player.

* * *

 Matthew's weird mood carried on to Thursday. He stayed quiet throughout most of the day, not paying much attention to anything in general. Unfortunately, he agreed to play in the volleyball intramural so the moment the bell rang for lunch, he met up with Alfred and they both went straight to the changing room. On their way, they bumped into Arthur who was nearby the door to the changeroom, as if he was waiting, who had decided to come that day - which is good, because they couldn't afford to not have players.

"Alfie, Mattie!" Arthur called quickly when he saw them approaching. Matthew immediately noticed that Arthur was still wearing his usual somewhat formal clothes. "Do either of you have an extra pair of tracksuit bottoms?"

"Hey Dad,"  Matthew said in a hush tone. "No, I only have my gym uniform..."

"Ya mean sweatpants, Dad?" Alfred asked.

"Sweatpants, tracksuit bottoms, same thing," Arthur shook his head.

"Nah, I only got my gym shorts and football tights," Alfred replied, opening up his gym back to reveal the two, both relatively short pants. Arthur frowned slightly. "Do you need a shirt too?"

"You don't have anything longer?" Arthur asked taking both in his hand. "That covers the entire legs."

"Nope. Either you wear something tight or you wear these shorts," Alfred replied. Arthur narrowed his eyes, and handed Alfred back his football tights. "Here. I'll be back. Thank you, hun."

"No problemo, just buy me McDonald's after school," Alfred grinned, to which Arthur waved him off and walked away.

"Alfie?" They heard Kiku say behind them, with a slight teasing tone, and they turned around to see him and Yong Soo walking up to them. 

"Aw, what a cute name! You guys and your Dad are just adorable," Yong Soo added, as he opened the door to the change room, allowing the others to walk through.

"Well well, if it isn't the traitors," Alfred joked back. "Where's the other traitor?"

"You mean our last minute ally, Heracles? He's already in the gym," Yong Soo replied lightly as they wandered inside. "I hope we go against you guys. Can't wait to see the look on your face when you guys lose!"

"You mean when you guys lose?" Alfred taunted back, and they gravitated towards the usual place. Feliciano, Tino, Emile, and Carlos were already there.

"Ciao!" Feliciano greeted, with the others throwing a hey. 

"Where's everyone else?" Matthew softly asked, starting to get ready.

"Ludwig and Berwald are already out there - they're checking where we are and who we're against," Carlos replied. "We start in 5, though."

"Kiku, Leon is on your team right?" Emile asked as Kiku set his bag nearby them, who faced away so they don't see. It was an unfamiliar name to Matthew, but Kiku looked at Emile blankly for a moment, then he nodded.

"Oh, yes, he is,"  Kiku said while nodding. 

"What, did you forget your cousin for a second?" Emile joked, while Kiku explained.

"No, it's just that's his Western name," Kiku replied. "I call him by his Chinese name."

"And what's that?" Emil asked curiously.

"You have to ask him if he would let you use it," Kiku simply replied.

"Who's Leon?" Carlos asked.

"He's in our geography class in first period," Tino replied with a smile before dropping his voice. "He's funny, but he's Emil's guy, so he's off limits."

"Excuse me? What do you mean by that!?" Emil asked, to which Tino said in a naive tone, "What."

"Guys, come to the gym, they want to start," they all heard Ludwig call from the door leading to the gym, and they filed out. The gym was split up in three parts, with a volleyball net set up in each one.

"We're going 'gainst Yong Soo's team," Berwald noted as they walked out. 

"Get ready to get pulverized!" Yong Soo laughed, and Kiku grinned at this.

With that, Yong Soo and Kiku gravitated towards their group, who were already on the their side of the court. Matthew immediately recognised Ivan and Yao, who were changed into the school uniform. Yao was in the middle of stretching, while Ivan was talking to another boy Matthew didn't know - he was around Ivan's height, with a muscular body, though his build isn't as wide as Ivan's. He had dark brown hair that curled slighty, olive skin, and a slight stubble along his chin - Matthew had to admit that he found the guy quite attractive.

"Hey, Kiku!" the guy suddenly said as he saw Kiku walk around the net to their side. "Ready to carry this team?"

Kiku replied something inaudible with a smile, when Alfred asked with a frown, "Who's that?"

"The guy talking right now is Sadiq," Feliciano said, tossing his bag on the bleachers. "He's in his fourth year. I don't know who the other guy is...by the way, when are our girl players coming?"

"They should be here soon, Feli, don't worry," Alfred replied. "How do you know him?"

"Sadiq? The newspaper club had to interview the  _Gourmet Appreciation Club_ , and he's the co-president with Yao," Feliciano replied. "I was the one who interviewed him."

"Hm...and who's the guy with the silver hair?" Alfred asked, referring to Ivan.

"That's Ivan," Matthew replied. "You know Katyusha? He's her younger brother."

"Another Braginski?" Alfred mumbled. "You think I should I call him comrade and offer him vodka?"

"Don't be a dumbass," Matthew replied, as their group started to discuss a set up.

Michelle eventually came to join the group with her friend, a girl name Eliška who was around the same height as Michelle, with pale skin, and  long dark hair pulled in a bun. They all introduced themselves to each other, though Tino knew Eliška from a class they had with her, and most already knew Michelle due to being quite an outgoing figure in their year. 

People from the other team came by to talk with each other as to pass time, and Matthew was able to put faces on names he had heard before. There was Mei, a girl who was Yong Soo's and Kiku's cousin from Taiwan they usually name drop in conversations. She was around Kiku's height and even had a similar slim frame, with long brown hair. Matthew could see more similarities between her and Yong Soo though - they both had a charismatic air around them. Another was Leon, the person Emil mentioned earlier, also a cousin to Kiku and Yong Soo. He was relatively tall compared to his other cousins, with short brown hair, tan colour to his skin, and a neutral expression like that of Kiku, but with much thicker eyebrows.

"Nice legs, Kirkland!"

"Oh bugger off!" Matthew could hear Arthur scold as he entered their side of the gym. Arthur changed into a black shirt with the Dr. Who logo that he had for god knows how long, and the shorts he borrowed from Alfred, which still exposed most of his leg, something that Arthur rarely does. He was followed by another man and a woman- the man, Matthew immediately recognized as João Santos, Arthur's close friend. He looked similar to the video Matthew had watched, and he hasn't changed much expect for maybe appearing much older.

The other woman was someone he recognized from the times Arthur would have coworkers over, though he forgot her name and never interacted with her. She was smaller than Arthur, with long dark brown hair pulled back in a low ponytail, cream skin and catlike eyes. She had a neutral expression as she walked alongside the other men.

João was carrying the volleyball bag, and tossed a volleyball to whoever was the referee in each court. Matthew did remember in passing Yong Soo and Tino mentioning that Joao was in charge of the Athletic Association - they were joking about how maybe they could bribe him into letting their respective team win.

"Michelle! Catch!" João called to her, tossing a volleyball towards her while tossing another one to the woman, who he referred to as 'An'. "Where's Muhammad? Isn't he watching your game?"

"He's the ref for Mr. Janssen's game," Michelle replied as she caught it. "I think Lovino's supposed to ref ours? But Mr. Janssen's team isn't here yet."

"Lars, I swear to god," João audibly mumbled, pulling out his phone from his pocket. Matthew felt a bit giddy. He had read the list of groups before hand, so he knew which team Gilbert was in - that being Mr. Janssen's team.

"Did you hear that Ludwig? Lovino is going to ref our game!" Feliciano said excitingly, and Ludwig's face sort of dropped. Matthew knew that Lovino was Feliciano's brother, but he still hasn't encountered him. "Isn't that exciting?"

"Yeah, sure," Ludwig sort of grumbled.

"Ms. Dao!" Alfred exclaimed, and then it clicked to Matthew - she was An Dao, Alfred's IT teacher during first period. "You're playing too?"

"Yeah, with Kiku," An replied. "Don't worry Alfred, we'll go easy on your team...right guys?"

"Super easy," Sadiq replied with a cocky smile, as An tossed him the volleyball. 

"Hey Mr. Kirkland!" Yao yelled from his side of the court. "If we win, can you boost my mark in English?"

"We'll see," Arthur said with a slight grin, slightly shooting a look to An, as if they had talked about this match before. They probably made a bet on who would win - and Matthew knew that Arthur could be competitive when he has to.

"MR. SANTOS! WHERE ARE WE PLAYING?" A familiar voice yelled from the other side of the gym, and Matthew's heart fluttered slightly. He glanced up to see Gilbert walking up to Matthew's team's court, with Basch, Roderich, Matthias, and Lukas.

"Other side," Joao pointed over to the court beside them, where another team was already practicing. "We'll start in 5 minutes."

"Perfect! Mr. Janssen wanted us to tell you that he'd be here in 5 minutes too!" Matthias replied as he happily took two volleyballs from the bag nearby Joao, passing one to Basch and the other to Gilbert. Matthew could see Elizabetha come from the girls' change room, with Lillian and Natalia by her.

"Matthew!" Gilbert sort of exclaimed when he noticed him nearby the bleachers, and walked up to him, passing both Alfred and Arthur who were in the midst of passing the volleyball in a circle with Feliciano and Ludwig. "Are you guys against us?"

"No, we're against Yong Soo," Matthew replied with a soft smile. 

"Who's that?" Gilbert asked with an eyebrow raise, and Matthew simply gestured to the boy, who was also practicing serving towards Yao on the other side. Matthew could see Gilbert's eyes narrow, but he quickly turned to Matthew with his usual grin. "You guys gonna win, right?"

"Definitely," Matthew said, before saying in a teasing tone, "I'll be sure to score all the points."

"I'll be sure keep an eye on you then," Gilbert said with a wink, and Matthew fixed his glasses, avoiding blushing. "Wanna practice a bit with me?"

"Sure, but I'm only good with setting and underhand serving," Matthew replied as Gilbert took a few steps back, following him away from the bleachers to an empty spot. "I suck at bumping."

"It's easy," Gilbert said, setting up for a set. "Here - I'll pass it to you, just use your arms though." 

Matthew attempted to put his arms in the bumping position, his arms extended and bent, with his fingers interlocked each other, but he fumbled a bit with it, barely hitting the ball upwards.

"Sorry!" Matthew said when the ball when towards the side. Gilbert quickly caught the ball, laughing slightly.

"You're doing it wrong!" Gilbert replied, coming up to Matthew, putting the volleyball to the ground. "You gotta bend your legs slightly before you hit it."

"Like this?"

"Yeah like that," Gilbert said, coming closer. "But it's better if one leg is in front of the other. Your whole whole arm is wrong too. You have to hold it out like this." Gilbert showed his arms being straight, and his hands on top of each other unlike Matthew's who were intertwined.

"Is this right?" Matthew said, and Gilbert reached out to fix Matthew's hands.

"Keep them on top of each other," Gilbert said as he placed them sturdily on top of each other, so it's cupped. "So then it's each to separate after you bump it and you have more control."

"Okay," Matthew half listened, feeling his heart beating faster when Gilbert still held his arms, and did a slight swing motion with it.

"See? Way easier," Gilbert replied, grinning. Matthew sort of looked away. They were close...too close...his lips were close too...and he smells nice, dammit. His hands just felt right on Matthew's and Matthew just couldn't understand why he felt this way. Or maybe he does, but he doesn't want to admit it.

Gilbert probably would've stayed like that if it weren't for the volleyball that flew straight to Gilbert's head, which he dodged quickly by stepping away from Matthew.

"Nice spike," Alfred said sarcastically, and Matthew looked over to him and Arthur, where the volleyball came from.

"Sorry!" Arthur said quickly, but he looked like he was very proud of his spike.

Gilbert looked like he wanted to say something, but then suddenly, they heard a whistle blow, and a young boy with a scoreboard coming to the centre of the court, yelling, "We're starting! Get to your sides!"

The boy looked nearly identical to Feliciano, except for having dark brown hair, olive coloured skin, and a face that looked like he was frowning.

"Lovinoooo~" Feliciano suddenly exclaimed, putting a face to Feliciano's mysterious brother. Ludwig just started to trail away towards Carlos and Berwald as Feliciano bounced to Lovino happily.

"God, I'm babysitting you and the potato?" Lovino grumbled, obviously not happy with this revelation, thought Matthew didn't know who he was referring to with the latter.

Lovino glanced over to Matthew and Gilbert, who were still near each other, sort of squinting his eyes. Matthew didn't know why he was looking at his general direction, and he glanced over to Gilbert, who quickly looked away from Lovino and picked up the volleyball.

"Well, good luck on your game, Birdie," Gilbert said with a smile, patting Matthew on the back, before going to his side of the court. 

"You too," Matthew replied, taking one last glance at Gilbert, before returning to his group, where his group were making a lineup.

"Sir, you got anything to say to us before we start?" Michelle asked Arthur.

"No not really...well, except to just have fun and do your best," Arthur said with a soft smile. "Who cares if we lose?"

"Arthur, remember that drinks are on you if I win on Saturday," An suddenly called from the other side of the net, where the first lineup was her, Kiku, Sadik, Yao, Heracles, and Yong Soo. 

"...Make sure we secure victory today, no matter how much blood we must spill." 

And with that, the starting line was Arthur, Eliska, Ludwig, Berwald, Matthew, and Feliciano, and the game started.


	23. To Hell With Rules

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hello there readers it has been a while but I'm back with yet another chapter~ Again, this is written late at night and I'm lost of words. I may or may not have written the last part a bit lazy, but that is up to you guys to decide if I did - I had issues wording sentences. And I've been a bit affected with personal matters, so I haven't been able to contact people as I would, but I'm back and ready to go!
> 
> This chapter contains parent-son bonding time? Kind of. Lil Mattie is figuring out his feelings for Gilbert, finally :') 
> 
> Anywhosies, I don't want to keep you guys here too long, so I just want to say a thank you for reading so far and sticking around, and also for kudo-ing and commenting on these chapters, it always helps keep me motivated :D I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and until next time, this is LightBlueFlower, signing off!

Somehow, miraculously, no fights were broken out during the volleyball game, save for the one where Arthur tried to argue that the ball did land outside of the line and that it's his team's point, not the other way around, but it was quickly dissolved by Lovino allowing An's team to redo the serve. Also somehow they managed to win the match by a point, with Matthew helping by bumping the volleyball high enough for Alfred to spike it straight past Yong Soo, who attempted to block the ball, but missed jumping by a millisecond. 

Gilbert came by to congratulate them, who was also happy with his team's victory. As they all went into the change room, Gilbert went as far ruffling Matthew's hair, despite the fact that Matthew could feel Arthur and Alfred just watching them.

_"Awesome job with that bump!" Gilbert said, as he and Matthew casually stayed near the bleachers. Matthew had to also change to go to the Health room, but he was waiting until the change room was mostly empty and not infested with an influx of cologne of various brands._

_"I didn't do much..." Matthew lightly replied, and he noticed Feliciano and Yong Soo standing behind Gilbert, facing Matthew. Yong Soo just started to raise his eyebrows suggestively while grinning, whereas Feliciano did a kiss gesture towards Gilbert. Matthew just faced slightly away, towards the court where their ref, Lovino, and Michelle were cleaning up by taking the nets down and putting the volleyball in the bag. Ever since that little conversation they had about Matthew hanging out with Gilbert, they both find joy with teasing Matthew if he said he just hung out with Gilbert._

_"Nah Mattie, you did it perfectly, trust me."_

_"It's only because I had a good teacher," Matthew said with a smile, and he could Gilbert grinning in a weird way. Lovino, at that moment, passerby them with the bag. Matthew could see from the corner of his eyes that Lovino evidently rolled his eyes...weird. Matthew didn't understand why he did this. Did Matthew say something wrong?_

_"Nice flirting Matthew," Feliciano said afterwards, as he walked down the hallway with Matthew and Yong Soo, all of them trailing behind the others._

_"What are you talking about?" Matthew asked quietly, not wanting Alfred to hear what Feliciano was saying, but his brother was preoccupied with chatting with Kiku._

_"You're such a good teacher, Gilbert," Yong Soo said while fluttering his eyes, softening his voice._ _"I didn't know you had it in you Matthew- I thought you would be oblivious like Al, but I guess you know how to flirt."_

_"I wasn't," Matthew sputtered. "I would never flirt!"_

_"Even with Gilbert?" Feliciano asked._ _"You seemed like a natural out there - and I would know a good flirter when I see one. Seemed like you might have a thing for him-"_

_"No! It's nothing like that!" Matthew said as he shook his head as he sped up his pace, trying to catch up with the others to escape the taunts from Feliciano and Yong Soo._

_"Aish," Yong Soo could be heard sighing. "Maybe he is like Alfred."_

_What does that even mean?_ Matthew had wanted to ask, but decided against it.

The day went by, and Matthew decided to stay behind with Gilbert to study for the test they had the next day. The entire time, though, Matthew found himself distracted by the boy - he sort of understood why. This feeling he felt was weird swelling, where his heart would be beating fast at every glance and smile Gilbert would throw at him, and he would feel oddly happy when they accidentally brushed hands or knees.

That night, when Matthew was home, he reflected upon his feelings as of late. He didn't know whether he liked it or not. On one hand, he found it nice. On the other hand, he knew what this feeling was, despite not wanting it to be one - it was probably the start of a crush. He read this before - the descriptions in the books are similar to how he was feeling. He felt it on a lower scale before, but it never developed beyond admiration in middle school. He never dazed that much about that person, and never was around people that helped feed this feelings, such as Yong Soo and Feliciano, who would tease him about him and make him wonder how it would be like to be with Gilbert...

"Was I flirting with him?" Matthew asked out loud. He was currently at his desk, his textbook open and spare papers on the side, trying to solve some review questions. He admits, he didn't pick up much thanks to Gilbert, and although he payed attention to class, he still needed to study - most of his school is being paid for by having good grades, and Matthew wasn't going to risk getting bad grades.

However, he couldn't help but think about what Feliciano say. How Matthew was a natural flirt and that it was very obvious he was flirting with Gilbert.  _Is that what flirting is? Complementing people?_

"I don't see Gilbert like that..."Matthew replied to himself, but he could feel that sentence was wrong in itself. 

 _Do I really though?_ a voice in Matthew's head respond, making Matthew grit his teeth. He leaned back in his chair with a huff. He needed someone to talk to about this, but who? Alfred and Arthur are definitely out of the question. He didn't want to tell Feliciano, despite the fact that they have grown slightly close - Feliciano is, unfortunately, a chatterbox, and sometimes he slips things out accidentally. He wouldn't mind if these mishaps didn't happen when Alfred was around. Matthew wanted to keep it extremely on the low.

"Why would I like Gilbert though?" Matthew grumbled, as he stared blankly at the wall. He tried to think about Gilbert as a being. Immediately, he felt that giddy feeling in his stomach and his heart beating loudly as he envisioned Gilbert. He understood the physical attractiveness; Gilbert had that unique look, with his silver hair and oddly coloured eyes.

Maybe Matthew only liked the way Gilbert looked. Maybe he liked the way he looks so rugged with his leather jacket and necklace, how he emits confidence (or awesomeness, as he claims), and how fit his body was (which Matthew still finds attractive...he may or may not have taken a glimpse of him as he took off his shirt in the change room). Maybe it was his carefree nature and the dumb jokes he cracks every chance he gets that's a big contrast to Matthew's quiet personality. Maybe it's the way his eyes twinkle when he understands something or came up with a devious plan, how calculated he looks when there's a problem he wants to solve in the quickest way, and how he has this specific grin whenever he talks to Matthew. Maybe it was because the complexities that made up who Gilbert was were admirable; how soft he was, how he could be gentle and kind, and how he was incredibly caring towards those he love.

Now Matthew imagined if they were to be together as lovers. What would that be like? Holding hands, instead of having to brush against his accidentally. Cuddling in his arms. Kissing him...kissing his lips...his lips...

 _I wonder if they're soft?_ Matthew found himself thinking, before catching himself and gritting his teeth. The thought of kissing Gilbert made him feel all sorts of things, and he could feel himself blushing. 

 _I mean...I think he'd be a great guy to date and be with,_ Matthew thought. _Maybe I do have a bit of a crush on him. Oh no..._

The only reason Matthew would be against dating Gilbert was mostly because of the reaction he would get from Arthur and Alfred. Already they're iffy about him being around him...it wouldn't help if Matthew was dating him. Would it be bad to date someone his Dad didn't like? He's his own person, so he should be able to without Arthur interfering, but Arthur might keep a much closer eye on him than if it was someone other than Gilbert.

On the other hand, his Papa doesn't seem to mind Gilbert at all - if anything, he told Matthew that he likes Gilbert after meeting him the first time. If anything, whenever Matthew was going out, Francis would ask if it was with Gilbert and ask him how he was doing. Then again, it's probably because that was the only friend he has met so far. He usually hangs out with his other friends in school.

 _Okay...maybe I have a crush on him...but who's to say that Gilbert is into guys?_  Matthew thought with a slight pout. _He's probably the straightest guy I know so far._

Matthew's sexuality wasn't hard for him to grasp in comparison to Alfred. Matthew was always neutral on who he liked. If anything, and growing finds himself attracted to many people, regardless of gender. With their parents being open about the community and Francis even discussing these things with Matthew if he asked, if he were to categorize himself, he'd probably be under pansexual.

"Why did I do this to myself?" Matthew groaned. Besides the point of whether Arthur would be happy about who Matthew dated, there was the problem of Gilbert being his friend and what team he played for. Unrequited interest was common for Matthew - most of his crushes never noticed him, so it was some weird comforting feeling for Matthew to expect that they won't like him back, regardless of what they were into. 

 _It's just a crush...it'll pass,_ Matthew attempted to convince himself, before hearing his phone ring. He picked it up quickly, noticing it was Francis who was calling him.

"Allo?"

" _Mathieu, j'suis dehors la maison avec des provisions_ ,<Matthew, I'm outside of the house with groceries,>" Francis replied through the phone, and Matthew could hear the engine of the car shutting off. " _Tu peut les apporter dedans avec moi, cheri?_ <Can you bring them inside with me, dear?>"

" _Ouais, reste la, j'arrive_ ,<Yeah, stay there, I'm coming,>" Matthew said as he quickly got up from his chair, and started to make his way to the front door. Francis did not have work that day, so he decided to do a bit of grocery shopping and told Matthew he'd be able to cook some dinner that night.

Even though what Alfred said still made Matthew sick, he was able to think a bit clearly and decided that they weren't sure if that were true, thus Matthew attempted to ignore it. Maybe Matthew can ask Francis about these things he's been feeling and how to handle it...but would that be weird? He hasn't talked to Francis about these things before, and it's been quite a while since he attempted to be close with Francis again, thought, it's getting there slowly.

Matthew helped Francis carry the groceries into the kitchen, and set everything into the fridge and cupboards as Francis took out his apron and set some pans to the side. 

"What's for dinner?" Matthew asked in French.

"Probably _Hachis Parmentier_ ," Francis replied. "Though, I can make Salmon with lime. I wanted to make creme brulee today, though I feel bad because Alfred isn't here."

"I can always bring him some tomorrow," Matthew replied, the thought of creme brulee making his mouth water. 

"I know you just want to have it today," Francis laughed. "But I'll be sure to leave one for him...you better not eat it, alright Mathieu."

"I won't," Matthew said with a sheepish grin, knowing that Francis read through his intentions. "Can I help you?"

"I don't see why not," Francis replied, taking the apron he always wears and rolling up his sleeves. "Although, I thought you had a test tomorrow?"

"I already studied it after school," Matthew replied, retying his hair back and went to the sink to wash his hands. 

"With who? Gilbert?" Francis asked, as he took whatever he needed to make _hachis parmentier_ \- the elaborate French version of shepard's pie. Matthew knew how to make the easier variant version called _pâté chinois_ , though he doesn't mind the wine that would be added in this dish.

"Yes," Matthew simply replied. Now that he was all prepared to cook, he took a knife and took an onion. "Do I slice them or dice?"

"Dice, but be careful not to cut your fingers," Francis said. There was a slight pause as Francis started to peel the potatoes to puree them. "Are you sure you studied with Gilbert?"

"Yeah...what else would I have done with him?" Matthew asked, and from the corner of his eye, he could see Francis smiling, as if he was trying to laugh. "What's funny?"

"You don't need to hide your interest in the boy- you know that, right cheri?" To this, Matthew frowned.

"I'm not interested in him," Matthew mumbled, and Francis just chuckled. Matthew continued, "Besides, he's straight."

To this, Francis paused what he was doing. He gave Matthew a weird look, and went back to peeling the potatoes. "Sure."

"What do you mean?"

"You can't assume these things about people, Mathieu," Francis replied, putting a pot of water on the stove to boil. "Did he blatantly tell you he's straight?"

"Well no... But he just doesn't seem like it, you know?"

"If that were the case, then I can assume that Alfred's straight too," Francis said with a smile. "And I think we all know that he's not."

"How do you know that..." Matthew asked, glancing up at Francis. There was no way Alfred would tell Francis these things, regardless of the fact that Alfred didn't admit it. He always kept things between Matthew and him. Matthew doesn't remember slipping it out to Francis either.

"Oh, Mathieu, you two are my sons - I can tell who you guys are infatuated with. It's just obvious with Alfred because whoever he tends to talk about a lot is the person he likes, regardless if it's a guy or girl. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if he would struggle with it," Francis said. 

"I don't get why he's struggling so much with it," Matthew replied. "I know you and... Dad would be fine with him liking both."

"...I doubt Arthur would be," Francis said in a bit of a mumble. Matthew was going to ask why, but Francis said in an even tone, "Yes, we tried to raise you two to be open minded and comfortable about your sexuality and gender identity. But, keep in mind that Alfred is also those sporty guys too. He's always been surrounded by this friend group that are mostly hyper masculine guys. I think it's only lately that he was exposed to those boys in your Gym class -they seem like a diverse set of friends when it comes to personality type."

"Yeah, they're into different things, and don't stick to one thing," Matthew said with a small smile. "Maybe you should talk to him about it and help him."

"I'll only mention this if he comes to me," Francis said. "And I doubt he would anytime soon. But make sure you're there for him as support, no matter what. Alfred has a complex relationship with these types of things, and he would need you there to console him, about anything. You two were always dependant on each other. Maybe you should tell Alfred about your little crush and he can help you out."

"No way," Matthew said. "Alfred already hates Gil's guts-"

"So you do like Gilbert?" Francis said, amused, and Matthew froze slightly. He hadn't realized what he said until Francis said that, and he fell for the trap - Francis always did have a way with words and making people say what they feel. He had the ability to make you get caught up in the moment while breaking down your walls slowly, before saying something that would make you slip out something. It was more of a sense of trust that he gave to the person he spoke to that makes it easy to say what you wanted.

"If you want to know if he's straight, ask him about his partners," Francis advised, taking the potatoes out of the pot and started to beat it into mashed potato. "Or ask him if he's into anyone at the moment. And if this turns out to be more than a crush, well...I hope you'd come to me and tell me."

"He wouldn't like someone like me," Matthew mumbled, not wanting to neither deny or confirm. 

"You'd be surprised," Francis said, and he placed a pan on the stove. If there was one thing that Francis knew was whether someone had a crush. Matthew's curiosity got the best of him.

"What makes you say that?"

"You have to figure that out yourself, cheri," Francis replied with a soft smile. "Mathieu, can you cook the beef? I'll start preparing the creme brûlée." 

"Oui," Matthew replied, and the rest of the night was spent without mentioning Matthew's probable crush on Gilbert.

* * *

Friday was the unit test, and Matthew felt that he did fairly well on it, but Matthew couldn't afford to relax over the weekend. He had a conjugation test on Monday for French, along with a presentation he had to do with Alfred on one of the many drugs that were listed on the paper Mr. Janssen a few days prior. 

Friday night Matthew stayed over at the apartment. Saturday was spent mostly indoors, first attempting to finish much of the presentation for Gym, and then studying for French. Matthew watched the baseball game with Alfred later on, who was content that there were no more football practice on the weekend, and had slept in most of the day. That night, however, took a weird turn after Arthur left to go hang out with his coworkers at the bar. The only reason they know this was because An exposed their bet during the volleyball game and now that his boyfriend was out of the picture, he'd probably only hang out with Katyusha and them. Alfred and Matthew were hanging around late at night, switching out watching the game to playing _Super Mario Bros._ It was well passed midnight, when Alfred asked this question after joking around.

"Do you think Dad would ever get back with Papa?"

Alfred said this nonchalantly, as he kept staring at the TV screen. 

"What?" Matthew replied, wanting to make sure he heard what he said correctly. Matthew accidentally got hit by a fireball and died.

"You think that Dad would ever want to get back with Papa?" Alfred repeated, quickly fixing his glasses.

"Why? Do you want them to?"

"Don't you?"

To this Matthew paused. He didn't know how to feel anymore about this. It's like he's slowly starting to accept the fact that there was no way they were ever going to even talk to each other again, much less get back together. 

"I would like that, but I doubt it," Matthew said. "I don't know why you're asking this suddenly."

"It's those videos man," Alfred sighed. "And I was looking through photo albums...And seeing how they were...I don't know...it's hard to believe that Dad would just leave like that, you know? They were around each other their entire lives and to suddenly leave is just weird. Especially with the whole thing about Papa cheating - I don't think that happened. Don't you ever think about that night?"

"No, because it was a bad time for everyone," Matthew mumbled. "Look...if you're going to attempt to  _Parent Trap_ our parents, it's not going to work."

"Why not? We've never done it -"

"It's none of our business, Al." Matthew could see that Alfred twitched slightly, and his face puffing up in a frown. Matthew sighed, "I want things to go back to how it was too but...The more I think about it, there's probably more to it than just the potential cheating..."

"You don't actually believe that, right bro?" Alfred asked. 

"I don't want to...I want to assume not," Matthew replied softly. "They probably had problems before that whole thing too."

"No they didn't," Alfred said. "They've never fought before."

"They have...don't you remember?" Matthew asked, finding it odd that Alfred didn't notice when their parents fought. Then he remembered how oblivious Alfred was about reading the atmosphere. Matthew remembers a tense moment a few months before that night where Arthur refused to talk to Francis. Matthew never understood why, but he does remember having to be Arthur's messenger Francis when it came to the little things. They reconciled after a week, of course, however, that doesn't mean what they fought about wasn't serious.

"They didn't fight in front of us, but they did have fights...they didn't last very long, but it was still there," Matthew explained. "Whatever...we can't do anything that would make them talk to each other anyways-"

"You don't know that," Alfred mumbled still looking down. 

"...Look. I know it's hard to process all these things," Matthew sighed, pausing the game quickly, his older brother instincts kicking in. "It doesn't sit well with me either. But right now, all we have to worry about is school. If...if Dad wants to see Papa again, then he would have. We know how Dad is like - if he wants to do something, he'd do it. And it's been 2 years, without him talking to Papa. So I just think that the probability of them getting together is small..."

"I guess..."

"Besides, we should be happy right now - Dad broke up with Perez Jackson."

"Yeah...I knew something was wrong with that guy since the moment Dad mentioned him," Alfred said with a grin, but Matthew could see he was forcing it. "But if I ever see that guy at the museum, I'm going to beat him up."

"Violence is never the answer," Matthew replied. "But, we can cover his car in wet toilet paper."

"That's not environmentally friendly," Alfred said, crossing his arms, thinking. "How 'bout we slash his tires?"

"Every suggestion you made could lead us to jail," Matthew laughed. Just then, they could hear some loud talking, and someone else shushing the other person. Matthew threw a glance at the oven clock, and realized it was almost 1 in the morning. The front door opened with a slow creak, and through appeared a very drunk Arthur tipping around, and a sober Joao trying to hold him up.

"-I'm telling you, Joao, don't go after him," Arthur slurred, his face flushed red, his eyes hazed over, and a wide grin on his face. His thin, navy blue coat hung loosely on his body, and the shirt he was wearing were noticeably unevenly buttoned. "You're better than thiiiisssss...He just wants to mess around-"

"Alright, Arthur, thank you for your advice," Joao grumbled with an eye roll, letting go of the door knob. He glanced up to see Alfred and Matthew, and said with a soft smile, "I got a gift for you kids."

"Merryyyyy Christmasss," Arthur mumbled, as he started to take off his shoes.

"Oh god," Matthew whispered, while Alfred tried hard not to laugh at the mess that was their father.

"Sorry kiddos, me and Kat didn't keep a close eye on him, and he somehow finished an entire bottle of whiskey," Joao sighed. "And probably had some shots."

"Jo, where are we?" Arthur asked in a daze. He noticed Matthew and Alfred, squinting his eyes, "What are the kids doing here? You're too young to be in a bar."

"Artie, we're in your apartment."

"Mhmm, you mean me flat."

"Same difference," Joao replied. "Alfred, help me take him to his bed please?"

"It's okay, Joao, me and Mattie got him," Alfred said was he let Arthur hook his arm around his shoulder, as Matthew immediately came to the other side, as Joao gently let go of Arthur.

"You kids sure you can handle him?" Joao asked as he fixed his jacket. "I can stay behind a bit, if you two want, just in case he tries acting up again."

"Don't worry, we've dealt with this before," Matthew replied, as Arthur kept singing a random tune.

"Yeah, the moment he's in bed, he sleeps, so all we gotta do is take him there," Alfred replied. 

"Alright, then I'll leave you two to it," Joao replied, opening the front door again. "Have a goodnight."

Just before Joao could leave, Arthur yelled. "Joao nooo! Don't go back! Trust me, he's using you! He's dated girls before - who's to say he would leave you for one!" 

Matthew noticed Alfred's slight frown and how his smile faded, while Joao shaking his head, and Matthew said quickly, "C'mon Dad, let's get you to bed."

"I don't want to," Arthur moaned, as they started to trudge their father down the hallways after saying a goodnight to Joao. "I'm still sober, I want to drink mooore."

"No you don't," Matthew replied, as he opened the door to Arthur's room. "You have papers to correct tomorrow, remember?"

"Fuck that," Arthur grumbled, and they gently placed him on the bed. "I don't wanna work anymore..."

"That's nice," Matthew said softly, tucking him into the blanket, as Alfred stood by silently. "Good night."

"..." Arthur didn't respond, as he started to softly snore, and Matthew knew he had already fallen asleep. The two silently exited the room, shutting the door softly, and decided that they should sleep too. Alfred was suddenly silent, which was weird - he'd usually crack a joke or two to their Dad during his drunken faze, but he didn't say anything.

"What's wrong?" Matthew asked as he was going to go to his room. Alfred just shrugged.

"Nothing. Just tired," Alfred said. He turned around and entered his room. "'Night dude."

"Good night," Matthew replied unsurely, knowing right away that something was off, but did not want to ask. He opened the door to his room, and retired to his bed.

* * *

The days passed by, and after taking a test, finishing and presenting a project that made Alfred stay up the night before, constantly tweaking the Business project with Ravis, along with studying and "flirting" (as Feliciano still calls it) with Gilbert, Matthew found himself to be a bit burnt out by Thursday morning of that week. That week was supposed to be when teachers would wrap up whatever they learned so that they had something for their mid term report next week, so the influx of assignments from the previous week made sense.

For the first time, Matthew experienced the taste of coffee in the morning just to keep him going all through the morning and the volleyball intramural game. Unfortunately, the team lost this round against a group that was not Gilbert's team, but Arthur took it well - Matthew assumed that his Dad decided not to make another bet this time.

Matthew was grateful that third period was taken up by sitting in a classroom and listening to Mr. Janssen talking and watching educational videos from the 90s, and although there were plenty of group discussions, it was mostly the outgoing people who bothered to contribute, hence Matthew was able to space out and actually fell asleep, hiding behind Carlos and Alfred, who both blocked Mr. Janssen's view. Gilbert was not kidding when he said it was the best class to nap in - Mr. Janssen's voice was low and soothing, and besides the laughter from the students making stupid and dirty jokes here and there, the atmosphere weird affect that made sleeping very comfortable. 

Unfortunately he had to wake up when the shrill sound of the bell rang, and begrudgingly made his way to his Math class. There was something boring about this routine that made Matthew feel dull. He wanted to do something  _other_ than sit through a class and take notes and pay attention. Why can't he be carefree like Gilbert sometimes?

"You wanna skip class?" Gilbert asked laying against the lockers.

Matthew looked at him with a blank expression, not comprehending what he just said. He was leaning over the water fountain that was down the hall from their class. Matthew bumped into Gilbert and Elizabetha (who he's seeing and talking to more and more as the days went by), and wanted to drink some water before class started, so Gilbert decided to stick around. The hallways were already emptied by the time they walked to the fountain. They didn't see Ms. Khemet enter the class, but they kept an eye on the door so they wouldn't be marked late for class.

"What?"

"I said, you wanna skip class?"

"Why would I do something like that?" Matthew asked with a frown. Unbelievable. Why would Gilbert suggest that of all things? 

"'Cause, you look like you're not having a good day," Gilbert leaning against the wall. "And I don't think sitting through a math lecture is gonna help."

"I'm just tired, that's all," Matthew replied, going back to take a drink from the fountain.

"Yeah, so why not skip this class and chill?"

"And risk losing my scholarship from not attending class?" Matthew asked crossing his arms. 

"Scholarship is only for grades, right?" Gilbert said with a shrug. "We finished our math test last week, and the next one isn't gonna be till next Friday. We got nothing going on Friday, and I checked today's lesson; it's whatever we learned yesterday, but more examples. Why not take a small break for two hours? I know when you get home you're gonna do homework. Besides, it's only for today."

"Okay, but what about my Dad?" Matthew continued. "What do I say to him?"

"Just say you weren't feeling well and went home," Gilbert replied like it was the most obvious thing to say. "Look, Birdie, I was just suggesting something. I'm not forcing you to."

"If you want to skip, then do it."

"Nah, I'm only skipping if you do."

"So you missing class hangs on me, huh?" Matthew said with an eyebrow raised, while Gilbert just smirked.

"Hey, I did say I'd teach you to break a few rules," Gilbert joked. "But if Kirkland asks, don't say I told you to - if you want to, you do it. I'll just join you. You look like you want to anyway."

"I feel like you do want to," Matthew sighed, while Gilbert just nodded.

"Yeah, kind of. I'm tired from volleyball, and I just had a History test last period," Gilbert agreed with a small laugh. Matthew stood up straight, and thought for a moment.

The idea of skipping a class sounded both scary and intriguing. Intriguing, because he's never skipped school willingly, and he wouldn't dare be rebellious like that. That was Alfred's job, who would do juvenile things in middle school like go missing for a class, only to be found in the McDonald's near his school because 'I was in the mood for a hamburger'. The idea sounded accelerating and exciting, even though that sounded really dumb to call something like skipping class to be exciting. 

Matthew was scared of the idea, however, due to what he mentioned to Gilbert - mostly from his fear of getting in trouble with Arthur. He's never been in trouble. No, Matthew was the ideal child - quiet, considerate, responsible. So to miss a class because he 'felt like it' conflicted with his entire being thus so far.

And he liked that. Skipping class for the hell of it is probably the most irresponsible thing he could do (other than going to the student - banned rooftop). Maybe he wanted to break from the little stereotypical shell that his parents often classified him. Maybe he wanted to be a little bit carefree and immature and...

"Stupid," Matthew mumbled. "It'll be a stupid choice." He glanced up to Gilbert, picking up his backpack from the floor. "Let's do it."

"Seriously," Gilbert said in disbelief, both his eyebrows raised. 

"Yeah," Matthew said, as he walked the opposite direction of their math class. "Let's do it."

"Ya sure, Birdie?" Gilbert asked, as he fixed the sleeves of his backpack, and pushed himself off the locker.

"Yes, now let's go before I change my mind," Matthew replied with a grin, twisting on his heels to face Gilbert and walked backyards.

"Alright," Gilbert said, catching up with Matthew. "To hell with class!"

"I wouldn't say that, but okay," Matthew laughed at Gilbert's triumphant gesture.

He glanced back towards the end of the hall to see Ms. Khemet walked into the classroom, before him and Gilbert ran through the door to the stairs that would lead them outside.


	24. Of Exes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well well, looks like I didn't update in December (yikes)
> 
> Hey everyone- how are y'all doing. I hope life is treating everyone well. I know this chapter is long overdue, but thank you all so much for being extremely, *extremely* patient with me. Life just hit me like a bus these last months- and I know people were wondering if I'd continue this, but for sure I won't abandon this series like last time.
> 
> I feel like this chapter isn't good, it is much shorter than I expected it to be, thought I tried my best to make it interesting. Once again, thank you all so much for following this little story of mine.

_ Now what do I do?  _ Matthew thought as he walked beside Gilbert down the sidewalk, both anticipation and something else swelling up in him. He pulled his scarf higher so it would cover half his face, the sudden gusts of wind making his skin hurt.

Gilbert suggested things that Matthew could do while skipping class - when Gilbert would skip with Elizabetha and Basch, they would usually grab food, look through stores, or head back to the residence hall where the other two lived to hang out.

They did grab a drink and a snack to munch on, and Matthew was mostly on edge. He was worried he was going to bump into his Dad, who he knew had last period off this semester. Who knows if Arthur suddenly decided he needed to grab something from the supermarket in the mall rather than going straight home.

Gilbert noticed this right away, and they decided that the best thing to do was to go far away from the school - so they decided to go to a park. Matthew was going to go to Francis' after school, and since Gilbert had to go straight home anyways, they decided to take the bus to the park nearby their houses.

"Agh, it's so fucking cold," Gilbert grumbled, both hands grasping the hot cup of coffee in his hand, hunching in to keep warm. Matthew would admit, it was a bit chilly, but nothing too cold. Maybe it was because he had a higher tolerance to cold temperatures - an advantage during the winter compared to the rest of his family. 

"It's not that bad," Matthew commented lightly, and Gilbert's eyebrows pulled into a frown, his teeth chattering. He sort of chuckled, "How did you survive fall last year?"

"I didn't," Gilbert replied, attempting to zip up his jacket as far up as he can. "But last fall was way warmer. I got through wearing this jacket."

"Should've worn a thicker jacket," Matthew replied. 

"But I look more awesome in this than my winter jacket," Gilbert grinned, flashing a grin, and straightened up. 

You do, Matthew wanted to say, but refrained from commenting, and instead said with light sarcasm in his voice, "Okay, Gilbert. If you say so."

"I know so, Birdie," Gilbert said smugly, taking a quick sip from his cup. 

"Hmm," Matthew hummed in agreement, and sort of quicken his step. He wanted to get to their destination quickly - he was still on edge about missing class.

Sure, if his parents did ask why he didn't go, he could say that he went home because he wasn't feeling well, as Gilbert suggested. But is it good to lie to them? Then again, he was tired and he really did not want to endure another hour in a classroom reviewing maths. He deserves a bit of a break. As long as he doesn't make a habit of it, he should be fine. And Matthew doubts Arthur would be severe with him - that's the only benefit of being the older, obedient one.

They walked up the long winding pavement that was beside the entrance of the forest of the park. A sign was set up beside it - North West Park. The path diverged into two at one point - they took the one that led to the field and the playground.

The playground was deserted, which was surprising because children usually occupied this area, but made sense since school hasn't finished for the day yet. It was just the two of them until they went to take a seat at one of the worn out picnic table nearby.

"Well, what do we do now?" Matthew sort of whispered, as Gilbert sat across from him. 

The other glanced at him, pausing for a moment, before chuckling, "Man, you're really paranoid aren't ya? Loosen up, Birdie. Just relax."

"I am relaxed," Matthew insisted, trying to slouch a bit as to appear like he didn't care. Gilbert stared at him, his eyebrows raised, not believing him, but he played along.

"I'm so proud of you," Gilbert joked with a grin. "I didn't think you'd actually skip."

"And why's that?"

"C'mon Mattie, you already know why," Gilbert said. "You're not the type to miss class and break his perfect attendance record. And you're especially not the type to miss class intentionally."

"Fun fact, I never had a perfect attendance in elementary school," Matthew replied. "I used to get marked absent a lot  because the teacher didn't notice me when they were taking attendance."

"...Now that's just sad," Gilbert shook his head. "What kind of teacher can't notice their students." 

"Well, hey, it had its benefits," Matthew said. "I got away from participating in band, and I didn't need to do any of those performances they forced us to do."

"Don't you get tired of it though? You know, about not getting noticed?"

"I don't mind," Matthew said softly with a shrug. "I mean, nowadays I think that people notice me, but it's the same thing. I just notice things that other people don't sometimes because I'm quiet...maybe you should try to be quiet sometimes."

"Don't lie, Birdie, you love my voice," Gilbert grinned, running a hand through his hair arrogantly. 

"Hmm," Matthew agreed, amused by his gesture.

"Besides, I don't need to be quiet to notice things," Gilbert continued. "I notice plenty of things."

"Like what?"

"Like how weird you were ever since last week," Gilbert replied, and Matthew stopped sipping his drink, frozen. He could feel warmth rising to his cheeks, the feeling of embarrassed of being caught overtaking him- over what he was embarrassed by, he wasn't sure. But from the tone of Gilbert's voice, Matthew felt like he did something obvious that made Gilbert notice and he didn't realise. Suddenly, Feliciano's words of Matthew flirting with Gilbert crept into his mind, and now Matthew had a reason to feel embarrassed and cornered.

"Uh, I was probably just stressed out over studying, you know," Matthew mumbled.

"See, I thought that too, since you're in first year and all, which is why I thought hanging out like this would help you a bit," Gilbert smirked. "But I have a feeling something else is bugging you. You were spacing out and shit, and you had this...really, lonely, vibe, you know. "

"A lonely vibe?" Matthew chuckled a bit, a bit glad that Gilbert didn't think that he was flirting with him too. Matthew felt that it was too early to put his emotions into play - first he had to figure out some things about Gilbert before initiating anything. To Matthew's laughter, Gilbert rolled his eyes. 

"I don't know how else to describe it, but I know that's not the vibe you'd give out if you were stressing over studying. So what's up?" 

Matthew smile faltered a bit when he heard how serious Gilbert was. Matthew started to think back to the previous week to look for an answer. Last week...what even happened last week for Matthew to space out and act weird?

"Oh."

Now Matthew remembers. His parents. Alfred voice silently rang through his mind, Dad said Papa cheated on him. He felt his stomach tighten a bit at the thought, and he glanced away from Gilbert, his mouth making a thin line. Matthew hated to admit it, but whatever Matthew and Alfred had talked about concerning their parents had been making him- he didn't let it slip in this week and had mostly pushed it to the back of his mind. Alfred didn't mention much of them since the Saturday Arthur came back drunk out of his mind, so it helped Matthew ignore it.

"...Look. You don't have to tell me. I get it if it's personal," Gilbert filled in the silence with a bit of a softer, lower tone, that helped put that anticipation Matthew had swelling inside to a bit of ease, calming him down. "Just worried 'bout you man, that's all."

"It's not," Matthew started, his voice slightly squeaking, and he had to pause to collect his thoughts. He started again, "It's not an issue of personal, it's more of...where do I even start to explain?" Matthew paused, thinking a bit, wanting to choose his words carefully as to not make his parents look bad in front of Gilbert. "Well...for one, my Dad isn't with his boyfriend anymore..."

Gilbert quirked an eyebrow up, looking like he wasn't sure about how to process this information. "Okay..."

"And...when they broke up two weeks ago, Alfred found out that the main reason because his boyfriend cheated," Matthew explained slowly.

"Okay..." Gilbert replied. "And that's why you were feeling on down last week?"

"It's not that," Matthew replied. "I mean...yeah a bit, it mostly affected Alfred more because he was there to watch my Dad break down- which never happens. So just the thought of him being hurt and broken...it's hurtful to me...You know?"

Gilbert thought about it for a bit, before nodding. "Yeah, I get it. I mean, if I found out somebody cheated on Ludwig and I saw him break down, I'd feel like shit for not...being there for him."

"Exactly."

"But, I'd probably get pissed off at this person," Gilbert scoffed. "I'd probably take revenge or some shit..maybe damage something they own, like slashing their car tires if they had a car."

_ You and Alfred both, _ Matthew though, not wanting to laugh at the odd similarity between their thought process. "You can end up in jail for that."

"So? They don't fuck around with my brother, that's just how it is," Gilbert waved Matthew's comment off. "But anyway, continue."

"Right..it's not just my Dad going through a breakup that's kind of getting me low," Matthew continued. "It...has to do with my parents' separation. The reason for it...it…”

“Are you implying that there was some cheating involved?”

Matthew nodded while looking down, the emotions he had felt when he first heard this coming back. “Dad claimed that Papa did it too so….I don’t know… I wasn’t feeling all that well…”

“...” Matthew didn’t hear Gilbert say anything, but he had this slight frown on his face.

“Francis? Cheating?”

“I don’t know if it’s true, but that’s what he said,” Matthew replied. “So to hear this about my Papa...who took care of us, and really loves my Dad I just...I didn’t know how else to feel. Was kind of hurt and disturbed…”

“Did...did your Dad say this to you or…”

“No...Alfred heard him say it to someone else…” Matthew took in a deep breath, and said in a lighter tone. He didn’t want to bring the mood too down - he wanted to at least enjoy this moment with Gilbert. “But, yeah, that’s what happened.”

“Do you believe him, Matthew…”

“I don’t want to,” Matthew confessed.

“I don’t believe it,” Gilbert said, leaning forward. “I know I’ve only talked to Francis a handful of times but...I don’t believe he’d do something like that.”

“What can you do..” Matthew said with a shrug.“I’m fine, really - I had a week to think about it, but I’m fine.”

Gilbert looked at him with a bit, as if thinking. He suddenly reached out to touch his arm, but quickly retracted.

“If you need to talk, I’m always here okay?”

“Yeah yeah, I will,” Matthew said, waving him off while forcing a smile. “You know, seeing my Dad be devastated over his break up and hearing these things about his relationship with Papa...I think it’s just too much being in a relationship.”

“Not all relationships will make you go through what your Dad did,” Gilbert smirked at Matthew’s comment. “It’s stupid to swear off something like that because you’re afraid of getting hurt. You might miss out on something awesome.”

To this, Matthew’s attention and interest perked. Then what Francis advised to him came to mind:  _ Why don’t you ask him about his previous partners? _

“Really? Even on TV, they make relationships seem really intense and dramatic.”

“Yeah, but those relationships are dumb- all their drama and problems comes from them hiding things from each other,” Gilbert replied. “And they don’t even trust each other half the time. I think trust and communicating is the key to having a good relationship.”

“You must have been in a lot of relationships since you sound like such an expert,” Matthew quipped lightly, taking his drink and sipping. “You’re single now right? Did you date anyone before?”

To this, Matthew could see Gilbert’s confident smile falter slightly. “Yeah, I have.”

“Those poor girls,” Matthew continued, making note of mentioning girls. If Gilbert was into other genders, he would probably ask something along the lines of why he’d say girls. He added, “Or poor guys.”

And Gilbert have a flash of annoyance on his face, but he didn’t say anything, regaining his confident persona. “You mean lucky? Anyone would be lucky to date me- I have specific tastes.”

“Really? Who was the ‘lucky’ person then?” Matthew asked with a sweet smile. Gilbert avoided eye contact for a second, as if thinking. 

“Last year,” he started, and Matthew could see his smile became a weird smirk, like he was forcing it. “I dated someone for about 6 months. Then we broke up before summer break.”

_ He’s not specifying.  _ “What kind of person were they?”

“A person.” Gilbert said taking a sip. “Short-tempered, but nice once you get to know ‘em. Loud and seems to be outgoing, but is actually really quiet.”

“Oh...and what happened?”

“We fell apart, I guess,” Gilbert said with a shrug. “We were really on amd off. Shit happens sometimes.”

“Did she go to our school?” To this, he could see that Gilbert clenched his mouth. “Sorry...you don’t want to talk about it…”

“Not really,” Gilbert replied, in a bit of a husked voice that Matthew did not like. He must have evidently have a frown on his face, because Gilbert cleared his voice and said with a more carefree and light voice, “The past is the past. Why dwell on it, ya know? Que sera, sera, and all that shit.”

“Que sera, sera,” Matthew repeated in agreement, not wanting to push the topic onto Gilbert. Maybe he’ll try another time.

“Live life in the now,” Gilbert said, before suddenly standing up. “And right now...I’m going to go on the swings. You wanna come?”

“What?” Matthew asked, before Gilbert ran up to the swing set nearby, diving onto the swing on his stomach, but flipped over onto the sand due to the momentum.

The rest of the time was spent hanging out in the park, with Matthew stealing glances at Gilbert and his shenanigans, though he couldn’t help but wonder a bit about the person Gilbert had dated. From what he said, the person seemed to be the opposite of Matthew.

A bit of envy crept in him for that mystery person.

Gilbert walked with Matthew home, and just before Matthew went inside, Gilbert gave a quick pat on the back, and said with a softer voice,  _ “If you want anything or you want to talk, call me alright?” _

_ I kind of want you, _ Matthew had wanted to say, but instead, he nodded and blushed at the contact.

When he walked inside, he found Francis sitting on the couch, reading the newspaper. Matthew knew that he was home much earlier than he usually did - in fact, he got home before school was supposed to end.

“Mathieu? Why are you here so early?” Francis called just as Matthew was going to walk up the stairs, with Matthew internally groaning. “School doesn’t end this soon.”

“I wasn’t feeling good,” Matthew said quietly, trying to seem slightly meek. He hated lying like this, but he didn’t want to get in trouble. This might be the better route to follow. With a slight pout, he continued, “Tummy ache.”

“Oh,” Francis said as he got up, worry on his face, and Matthew felt worse seeing this genuine reaction from his Papa. He seem to have bought it, and didn’t press any further, “Do you want me to make you soup?”

“Non, it’s okay, I think I’m going to sleep this one out,” Matthew replied, still soft, and started to make his way up the staircase. 

“I’ll still make you some anyways,” Francis replied. “I have to leave you food for tonight. Is Alfred going to come by?”

“No, I think he’s staying late at school and going to Dad’s. Thank you, Papa.”

“Anything for you,  _ chouchou _ ,” Francis said with a soft smile. “Now, get some rest.”

Matthew nodded, and continued up the stairs.  _ This is the last time I’m doing this, _ Matthew thought, guilt welling up in his stomach- but he smiled a bit as he closed the door behind him.

***

“Eliza, we need to talk,” Gilbert rapidly said into his phone as he quickly closed the door behind him. 

He had just gotten home from hanging out with Matthew - the house seemed to be empty, but Gilbert wasn’t taking the risk of having someone hear him. He had texted Eliza that he was going to call her to talk, and now he was there, his heart racing with anticipation.

_ “Seriously? School just let out and I’m on my way to my room,” _ Eliza sighed.  _ “How important is this that you can’t even text me?” _

“It’s Matthew-related,” Gilbert replied, dropping his bag on the floor with a loud bang, waking up Gilbird who was silently sleeping in his cage. He could envision Elizabetha grinning and being interested the moment he said that.

_ “I’ll call you when I get to my room,” _ Elizabetha chimed, before ending the call.

A few moments later, as Gilbert tended to Gilbird and take a quick shower, Elizabetha called back.

“So,” Gilbert started, taking a seat on his bed, pulling the blanket around him to shield him from the cool air. “I just came home from hanging out with Matthew.”

_ “Uh huh.” _

“And we didn’t go to class… we skipped.”

He could hear Elizabetha inhale sharply. _ “So much for giving Kirkland a good impression. You made Matthew skip class?” _

“No,” Gilbert replied, slightly offended. “I asked if he needed a break from sitting through Math, and he said we should skip.”

_ “Okay… And what did you guys do?” _

“We hung out at the park near his place,” Gilbert replied, biting his bottom lip nervously. 

_ “Wow, you guys went to a really secluded place then. What did you guys do at the park,”  _ Elizabethat asked suggestively, and Gilbert rolled his eyes at her tone. 

“Get your head out of the gutter, Eliza,” Gilbert huffed. “We were just talking-”

_ “Mhm. Talking. Sure.” _

“What else would we do? Fuck?”

_ “I don’t know Gilbert, would you?” _

“Not awesome,” Gilbert grumbled as Elizabetha giggled. 

_ “I’m just kidding. What did you guys talk about?” _

Gilbert inhaled a bit, remembering what just happen, and slight panic was building up in his stomach. “We started with relationships-”

_ “Whoa, actually? Right off the bat? Why?” _

“It doesn’t matter - the point is, when we talked about relationships...he asked me if I dated anyone, and he was asking me who I dated.”

_ “Wait, seriously!? Did you tell him you dated Lovino?” _

“No...I didn’t mention I dated him…I just said I dated someone last year-”

_ “Okay, but did you say you dated a guy?” _

“No...why would I say that?”

_ “...Are you serious Gilbert.” _

“What.”

_ “Don’t you want to know if Matthew is into guys? This would’ve been the perfect opportunity to let him know you’re available to him. Wait...did you ask him about his relationships?” _

“Not really, he said he doesn’t want to get into any, so I assume he never dated anyone.” 

_ “Yeah, but you could’ve asked what kind of person he was into. We’re trying to figure out if Matthew likes guys too...remember.” _

“Oh shit,” Gilbert said, now realising what he should have done instead of stopping the conversation. “That  _ would’ve _ been the easiest way to find out.”

Elizabetha sighed loudly on the other side.  _ “You’re hopeless.” _

“Shut up.”

_ “This is going to make our plans fall way behind,” _ Elizabetha mumbled, as if she was thinking about something else. 

“Yeah but...I wonder why he even asked me about my exes in the first place…”

“ _ Obviously he probably wants to find out the same thing you do - if you liked guys or not, _ ” Elizabetha replied deadpan. 

“Not obvious-”

“ _ Oh please, Gilbert, you’re so oblivious. Someone could straight up tell you they like you, and you’d probably say ‘I like you as a friend too’. I see the way Matthew looks at you. _ ”

Gilbert felt slightly good hearing this, and he grinned. “You think?”

_ “I don’t think - I know. After talking to him the past weeks, I can see it; he’s totally into you too. So him asking you a bit about your relationships and prying makes perfect sense. But now it’s what we should do…” _

“...I fucked up..”

“ _ You think? _ ” Eliza huffed slightly, before humming a bit. “You know what, the only way to save this is if I talked to him.”

“Talk to him about what? How are you gonna do that without it being awkward?” 

“ _ Don’t worry about it, Gil _ ,” Eliza sung over the line. “ _ Leave this part to me. Just keep doing what you’re doing with Matthew- that doesn’t involve getting in trouble with Kirkland.” _

Gilbert slowly blew out some air, tapping his fingers on his knee. “I won’t, Matthee was scared half the time anyways.”

“ _ You’re terrible _ ,” Eliza joked. “ _ Now...it’s time to finish phase I.” _


	25. Wait, what?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow wow wow, another (relatively short) chapter already?? After I posted that chapter last night, I was inspired to write another one to keep the plot moving rather than stagnant. P.S. it's dialogue heavy, but this plot point does not really let us explore the characters in-depth.
> 
> Btw, I read the comments for last chapters and honestly, you guys are the best Q-Q What did I do to have such supportive readers?? I'm flattered you guys like this to continue, and I'm happy to be back! Thank you so much!
> 
> So, here's the newest chapter. There is going to be a ship (but it's def not endgame). Actually, in this fic, the characters might date others, but whatever I put in the tags would most likely be endgame, so dw~

“Dude, we should totally use blue.”

“No, it won’t pop- we should use red instead.”

“How about blue AND red?”

“Ew, that would look tacky as fuck.”

“What about something bright, like yellow and red!”

“I’m not going to make this sign look like a McDonald’s poster!” Feliciano rattled as the group continued to bicker amongst themselves, with Matthew quietly watching as he painted some of the empty space white. He took Alfred’s phone and changed the song, and the rap music started to play in the background.

“How about orange and green?” Yong Soo added in, before Kiku immediately shut down that idea by saying no.

“Oh my god, you guys are arguing over the writing!” Michelle finally intervened, her hands on her hips. “Just make it black!”

“That’s not enough to pop!”

“Dude, you can add designs with whatever colours,” Alfred replied in a cooler voice. “The black should be enough for the writing!”

It was afterschool the next day, and Matthew was currently in the school’s foyer with Alfred, Michelle, Kiku, and Yong Soo. There was a long sheet of construction paper laid out in front of them, with the words “‘Vote 4 Alfred and Michelle 1st Year Reps!’”, with a little tagline saying below in in a smaller vote saying “Cause we’re the best!” There were a few paints laying on the side with two cups of water and paint brushed here and there. The only thing they knew for sure was they needed to paint the brown colour of the paper to white- the rest was currently being debated. Matthew just went about to start painting so they could save some time, along with Kiku who was inputting his opinion in a calmer voice.

Originally, there were supposed to be a few more of them hanging about, but they ended up having other things to take care of. Matthew was relieved that the rest of their friends weren’t around- if they were, then he was sure they would waste the minutes arguing over the smallest things.

The elections were going to take place in a week, and Michelle and Alfred have yet to put up posters. True to what Alfred said before, they decided to team up so that they have a better chance of getting the positions.

Matthew had agreed long before that he would help out, so they managed to rope together some materials, courtesy of Ms. Karpusi, and started to paint the banner that was supposed to hang in front of the auditorium.

As they went about their individual works, they started to talk a bit, with Alfred, Michelle, and Feliciano mostly complaining about Science and the annoying labs they had to write, they managed to finish painting the letters in a good 30 minutes.

Matthew was mostly in his own world, wishing that he had taken Gilbert’s offer of staying behind and waiting for Matthew, but Matthew knew that with Alfred around it was unlikely he could see him. Alfred would most likely hover over him, and he wanted to avoid any potential confrontation.

Yesterday was really something else, but Matthew felt slightly anxious. He still hasn’t figured out if Gilbert like guys- he didn’t mention any names or genders. This lack of information made it harder for Matthew on how to handle his crush on the young German.

 _Should I play it safe and stop?_ Matthew thought, brushing the white paint around the black words. Is it even possible to stop yourself from having a crush? Maybe if the person rejected them...but the thought of being rejected by Gilbert, the few people who actively hung out with Matthew, scared him.

“I’m going to go grab something from Timmies- you guys want anything?” Alfred suddenly asked as he stood up, brushing of some specks of dusts that covered his knees.

“Do you have money? Buy me a hot chocolate,” Matthew asked as the other shouted.

“Hot chocolate!” Yong Soo exclaimed.

“Latte!” Feliciano exclaimed at the same time.

“...” Kiku didn’t say anything, glancing to the ground.

“I’ll come with you, Al,” Michelle said happily, as she stood up. “I’ll get some timbits too- are you guys okay with that?”

“Yes, thanks Michelle! You’re the best!” Yong Soo jumped up to hug her, which Michelle happily accepted.

“Keeks, you want anything?” Alfred asked, standing in front of Kiku. Matthew glanced over to look at Kiku, and noticed that his mouth formed a thin line when Michelle spoke. He looked up to Alfred, and smiled politely, “No, but thank you for asking.”

“Aight,” Alfred said, oblivious to the cold atmosphere that hung around Kiku, and he smiled back at Michelle. “Shall we?”

“We shall,” Michelle proclaimed, as the two walked side by side, down to the doors leading outside.

“You know what we should add?” Feliciano spoke up, looking up to the others after painting a few stars on his corner of the banner. “Glitter. That would make it sparkly and pop out.”

“Ms. Karpusi should have some in her room,” Yong Soo replied as he stood up with Feliciano. “Let’s go get it. Hyung- pass the keys!”

To Matthew’s surprise, Kiku didn’t say anything in protest, and tossed the keys that he had in his pocket towards Yong Soo, who caught it easily.

“Let’s go!” Feliciano said as Yong Soo laughed.

“You know, you always sound like Mario whenever you say that.”

As they disappeared down the hallway, Kiku got up and went to the area where Yong Soo was painting the letters.

“He didn’t paint the lines properly,” Kiku explained before Matthew asked him what he was doing, taking a thinner brush with black paint. He rolled up his sleeves further up- surprisingly, Kiku managed to not get any paint on his shirt, despite not wearing an apron- and started to steady his hand.

Matthew stared at Kiku for a bit, slightly frowning. Something was definitely off with the young boy. Kiku was similar to Matthew, in the sense that he was more quiet and didn’t usually start conversations.

However, they did manage to have a mutual way of conversing when it was just the two of them, and Feliciano wasn’t there to garble their voices with his chatter. It was more calming talking to Kiku- if Matthew were to ask any of the boys for advice, he would definitely go to Kiku.

Advice...maybe he can ask Kiku what to do about Gilbert. Kiku had a general idea about Gilbert and Matthew, though mostly from Feli and Yong Soo’s constant teasing. Matthew knows that Kiku wouldn’t react disgusted or anything. And he knows that Kiku would definitely **not** slip about his crush on Gilbert around Alfred.

Feliciano would be the better person to talk about this kind of stuff with, but Matthew can’t risk having the entire school knowing about his infatuation. Word would definitely reach Arthur’s ears if it did. Besides, if he kept his crush a secret, he might end up exploding in all the feelings he’s been experiencing.

 _Desiigner_ started to play inappropriately, and Matthew leaned over to change the music to suit the mood- thank god _Carly Rae Jepsen_ was there.

“Do you want me to play something else?” Matthew started the convo when he picked a song by her.

“No, it’s fine. I actually really like her,” Kiku said with a smoother tone, the cold around him disappearing as he smiled warmly.

“It’s been a while since it was just us- what’s up? How’s life?” Matthew asked, feeling a bit relieved to hear Kiku sounding less robotic.

“As always, studying,” Kiku replied, continuing to paint the line. A slight pause, before he smiled knowingly, “And you, Matthew? How’s Math class? And Gilbert?”

Right to the point, Matthew felt himself blush slightly.

“What about Gilbert?” Matthew mumbled, taken aback by Kiku’s questions.

“How’s helping him with math going?”

“...” Well, now, how was Matthew going to bring up his crush on Gilbert? “Uh, well...it’s good.” God, he hoped he didn’t sound weird.

That knowing smile was still in Kiku’s face. “Did you guys have fun skipping class yesterday?”

Matthew didn’t know how to respond to this. How did Kiku know? He didn’t plan on ever mentioning it to his friends.

“W-what...what do you mean skip?”

“I saw you two when I went to the washroom,” Kiku replied cooly. “Are you two dating?”

“No, what? No, no, of course not,” Matthew sputtered, feeling his heart start to beat louder, and he knew that at this point, his face was turning red. Why was he like this? Why can’t he hide anything properly? He wished he was like Kiku- he knew how to lie without revealing any emotions.

“Hm...do you like him?”

“Uhhhh,” Matthew glanced away. Well, he can’t hide it any longer. He’s been meaning to tell someone, but why was it so hard to admit it. He then said in a much quieter voice, “Yeahhh.”

A pause.

Kiku looked more amused than anything, as if he won some bet. “Did you tell anyone else?”

“No, you’re actually the first one,” Matthew continued, a bit more evenly, through his heart was still beating wildly. “I just want to wait a bit.”

“For what?”

“It’s just...it’s just a stupid crush,” Matthew mumbled. “It’s nothing special.”

“I’m sure it’s not a crush,” Kiku replied. “I can tell you really like him. From intramurals and whenever I see you two in the hallways. You really like Gilbert.”

“Okay, okay, not so loud please,” Matthew said in a lower tone. He sighed. Well- now his secret is revealed. Not that it wasn't his intention to begin with. “And...don’t tell anyone?”

“Of course I won’t,” Kiku said softly. “Knowing the others, they would tell everyone they knew.”

“Yeah...that’s why I wanted to tell you,” Matthew said. “And...and I wanted some advice.”

“Advice?” Kiku repeated, and his amusement still lingered, along with a slight confusion. “I don’t believe I would be of much help…”

“No, I think you would. I just...want to know, if you were to figure out if someone were into guys, how would you go about finding out?

“...Matthew, all my knowledge about romance is from manga,” Kiku admitted. “You know I’ve never dated before. And I don’t do that with guys...”

“Yeah, but I feel like you’d get how I should react,” Matthew insisted. “If I told someone like Yong Soo, he’d tell me to ask it to his face. I can’t do that…What if Gilbert thinks I’m gross? What if he doesn’t like me and stops being my friend?? What if-”

“Oh, Matthew, I’m sure he wouldn’t,” Kiku intervened, trying to calm Matthew down. “You’re just overthinking this! Hm...if I were you. And I wanted to find out if someone were gay...did he date anyone before?”

“Apparently, but he didn’t mention if it was a girl or guy.”

“...Sounds like he’s hiding something. Usually people do mention it...The only thing I could advise is to ask his friends instead.”

“But...do you really think Gilbert’s gay?”

A pause as Kiku thought. “I don’t know him much, besides from seeing him when I visit Ludwig’s place. Though, from the way he looks at you- from all those times I see you two- I think there’s something more to it than friendship.”

Matthes felt happy inside to hear this from Kiku, and he tried hard not to smile, but let it be. “I hope so…”

“...You two would be cute,” Kiku said after a moment. “Though, is he really a good fit for you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, do you like him because he’s handsome? Or do you like him because it’s him?”

“You know, I thought about it,” Matthew replied. “I admit, I think he’s good looking but...I really like being around him and I think he’s really nice, and supportive, and he’s actually smart, and he…”

Matthes didn’t realise that he started to ramble about all the things that he liked about Gilbert to Kiku, who didn’t disturb him at all.

Once Matthew realised what he had said, he said a small apology. “Sorry...I’m starting to talk alot like Feli just now.”

To this Kiku laughed. “It’s okay, you’re just infatuated with someone. You know, even though you said all these things, you two don’t seem alike. He’s really loud, and you tend to be quiet.”

“I guess opposites attract,” Matthew laughed, and he could see Kiku glance away.

“Yeah...maybe.” There was a slight pause, and Matthew didn’t want to stop Kiku from talking.  

An idea popped in his head, and a sly smile appeared on Matthew’s face. It was just him and Kiku now- maybe, just maybe, he could ask Kiku about Alfred and him.

It’s been bugging him, Feliciano, and Yong Soo for a long time- now would be the perfect opportunity to find out what’s going on between the two.

“How’s science by the way? Al and Feli were complaining about that lab- what did you guys have to do?”

To this, Kiku stopped and stared blankly, before resuming. “It wasn’t hard- Alfred always exaggerates things.”

“That’s Al for you,” Matthew sighed, though he didn’t ignore the slight mumble that accompanied his brother’s name. What did Al do to Kiku? This is the first time he’s heard Alfred being talked about coldy by Kiku- they had the best interactions out of everyone.

Obviously, this was thanks to Alfred’s infatuation with the young Japanese boy.

“He’s probably bugging you alot, eh?” Matthee continued, and Kiku remained silent, as if thinking.

“Not really,” Kiku said, a bit solemnly. “He’s been with Michelle mostly now.”

“Yeah, they’re really taking this whole thing seriously,” Matthew waved to the banner. “Literally no one else wants to run against them.”

“Oh no, that’s not why,” Kiku said, glancing up to Matthew, and there was a mixture of confusion, and something else that Matthew couldn’t pinpoint. “Didn’t Alfred tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“...He likes Michelle....”

Matthew was taken aback. Did he hear that correctly?

“What.”

“He said he wants to ask her out,” Kiku replied nonchalantly, but his eyebrows were pulled in slightly. He went back to painting without another word, with a very flabbergasted Matthew sitting across him.

 _What the fuck?!_ Was all Matthew could think at the moment. _What the fuck?!?!_

“He...what….since when?”

“He said he’s liked her for a month now,” Kiku said.

 _No...He likes you...what...what….._ _how did I get his crush wrong…_

There was no way Matthew’s intuition about his brother was wrong.

“He never mentioned her to me,” Matthew replied. “He always likes the people he talks about, and he always talks about you-”

Matthew stopped himself immediately, realising what he said too late. Kiku stopped immediately, a thin line on his face, and he could see the tips of his ears turning slightly red.

“I thought Alfred was straight?” He said, and there was a weird squeak in his tone, as if he was trying to control his tone.

“Uhh,” Matthew mumbled, trying to think. First, he can’t expose Alfred’s questioning sexuality, and second, he can’t tell Kiku of Alfred’s obvious crush before figuring out why he suddenly had an apparent interest in Michelle.

“Um, yes he is,” Matthew lied. “Sorry, I was mixing it up with someone else...now I remember! I think he did mention Michelle before.”

“...Oh,” Kiku mumbled bashfully, and he looked slightly dejected. “I see…”

Matthew definitely did not like Kiku looking like this, and felt really bad about lying like this, but he can’t do anything about it without talking to Alfred.

Matthew didn’t know what else to say, but luckily at the moment, they heard the shouting of Feliciano and Yong Soo from the hall.

“Don’t drop the glitter.”

“Don’t worry, I got this,” Feliciano replied, spinning a bit as he held onto two bigger containers containing what Matthew assumed was glitter.

As if he was cursed, Feliciano suddenly lost his balance and managed to trip over his feet, causing him to drop one if the containers of glitter on the floor.

And with a loud _blam_ , the container hit the ground right behind Kiku, causing a small explosion of glitter to fly when the container lid opened.

“I LITERALLY JUST SAID TO BE CAREFUL BRO,” Yong Soo exclaimed as Feliciano stared at the glitter container in shock.

“Oh no…” Matthew mumbled, and they heard the front doors suddenly open, a gust of wind causing the container to slightly roll away.

“Dudes, it’s cold outside,” Alfred said as he walked over to them, Michelle standing closer to him than before. He had a smile on his face- the goofy kind that he usually has when something good happened- but that faded once he saw the mess that was multicoloured glitter spread on the floor.

“Ah ah, paper towels!” Feliciano exclaimed before running to the nearest washroom.

“Bruhh, Mr. Beilschmidt is gonna kill me!” Alfred said, as he followed suit. He handed the drinks that he had in a tray to Michelle. “Here Michi, I’ll go help Feli.”

 _Michi?_ Matthew thought. _Since when did he call her that?_

“Okay,” Michelle said, a bit more quiet than she usually would, avoiding eye contact eith Alfred as she accepted the tray.

Matthew looked at Alfred and Michelle, narrowing his eyes a bit at this display that didn’t seem to properly process in his head.

As Alfred turned away from her, Matthew could see he had that goofy grin on his face again.

_What the fuck is going on?_

***

That weird grin on Alfred’s face didn’t disappear during their walk to the bus stop and during their bus ride to the apartment. Matthew was still very much confused over what Kiku said, and he was nervous to ask Alfred about it, but he managed to work up the guts once they nearby their stop.

“Why are you in such a good mood?” He started. “You’re smiling weird. It’s creeping me out.”

“What smile, dude,” Alfred said, a stupid smile still on his face as he glanced around. Matthew narrowed his eyes- his brother was obviously hiding something.

“It’s the same you have whenever you think of your crush,” Matthew noted, hoping that it would bring the topic to Kiku.

Alfred laughed -or moreso giggled, which was 10x worse- and said, “It does.”

Matthew raised an eyebrow. “Did you tell Kiku you liked him.”

Alfred was obviously not expecting that from Matthew, because his smile faltered, and the tips of his ears started to turn red.

“Kiku,” Alfred slightly stammered, gaining control in his voice. “Why would I like Kiku?”

“What?” Matthew replied, sounding as confused as he feels. Although Alfred never told him he had a thing for Kiku, it doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. “What do you mean why would you? Isn’t that why you’re having that whole questioning thing?”

“Ohh,” Alfred mumbled, and Matthew could see he was still hiding something, but he tried to play it off. “Nah, that was nothing. I don’t think I am. I like girls too much.”

“Being bi means you like two genders,” Matthew replied, as their bus pulled up to their stop. They hastily exit the back doors of the buz to start their trek home. “You can still like girls-”

“Nah man, I was just confused and stupid,” Alfred shrugged. “I mean, really, you can only be gay or straight.” Matthew was taken aback, and stopped on his tracks.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean like,” Alfred started, looking away from Matthew, looking like he was looking hard in his head for an excuse. “It’s not really a thing, you know? I’ve liked girls all my life- and liking girls and guys at the same time, what if I want to settle down? I just got confused, I know I’m straight, I like pus-”

Matthew couldn’t make sense of Alfred’s sentences- they just sound like some shitty excuse of biphobia. There was something odd about Alfred’s statement, as if Matthew has heard it before.

“Alfred, just because Dad said that doesn’t mean your feelings are fake,” Matthew interrupted quickly, making Alfred stop mid sentence. “He was drunk, and he said some stupid things. It doesn’t mean you should feel ashamed about liking guys and girls-”

“I don’t like guys, Mattie,” Alfred said defensively. “I don’t! I’m not gay!”

“I never said you’re gay-”

“I asked Michelle out,” Alfred finally admitted, exasperation in his tone. Again, Matthew raised an eyebrow. “I’ve had a crush on her for a while, and I’ve been meaning to ask her since time.”

“You’re telling me that all this time, after all that questioning about liking guys, you did it not because you liked Kiku?”

“Man, why are you bringing up Kiku? That’s gross,” Alfred frowned and spun on his heels. He could hear Alfred grumble under his breath, “I’m not a fucking homo.”

“Okay, you think Dad would be okay with you saying that?” Now Matthew had a different problem with Alfred. Why is he being so hostile about being gay? Alfred was always comfortable about himself- he never outrightly said things negative about queerness. Especially about himself- Matthew remembers whenever kids would make crude jokes about Alfred’s sexuality because of their Dads, he simply said “ _So what? You got a problem if I am?!_ ”

“Stop bugging me about it then!” Alfred exclaimed as he opened the door to the apartment complex, almost stomping up to the elevator button and smashing it.

Matthew gritted his teeth at his brother’s shitty behaviour, but he didn’t want to make him explode in anger. He held his tongue, and stood silently beside him as the elevator went up to their floor.

“...so,” Matthew started again in a calmer voice. He just wanted Alfred to be in a happier mood- nobody is happy when he’s moody. That and he planned on staying with him over the weekend- he didn’t want to start a Friday night with a fight. “You asked Michelle out when you went to get our stuff?”

“...Yeah,” Alfred replied, his tone also mellowed out. He rubbed the nape of his neck, as if embarrassed.

“Did she have a crush on you too?”

“She said she did for a while too,” Alfred replied, his mood a bit lighter.

“I’m happy for you,” Matthew replied, thought really, he didn’t know what to make of it. He wanted to ask why Alfred didn’t tell him about his apparent crush- they had promised to always tell each other if they have one. Matthew felt slightly hurt that he had to hear about it from a friend, and not from Alfred.

Although, that makes his apparent crush on Michelle all the more suspicious. Alfred is definitely hiding something.

As they went through the door to their home, they found Arthur sitting on the couch, already wearing his home clothes, staring down at a book in hand, though Matthew could see that it was upside down. He looked up immediately as they opened the door, and Matthew knew that he was waiting for them to come home.

“You two are late,” Arthur noted. “How did the banner go?”

“Good,” Alfred replied, dropping his bag on the side of the couch. “I’m taking a shower first!”

“Wait, no fair,” Matthew exclaimed, but Alfred had already grabbed a towel in his room and dashed to the washroom. Matthew was going to go down the hall to his own room to get some if pajamas ready, when Arthur cleared his throat.

“Actually, Matthew,” he heard Arthur said in an even tone, and Matthew's heart dropped. The realisation that his Dad was actually waiting for Matthew made him feel nervous, and remembering that he had skipped Math yesterday, made his stomach twist slightly. “I have to ask you something.”

"Yes?” Matthew replied as he faced Arthur, putting a small smile to appear innocent. Arthur’s face was unreadable, and Matthew couldn’t tell if he was angry.

“Ms. Khemet told me that you didn’t go to class yesterday,” Arthur said, and Matthew felt his stomach tighten again. “Care to explain why you skipped math?”

 _Calm down, and just tell him what you told Papa,_ Matthew thought, taking in a deep breathe.

“Oh yeah,” Matthew said sheepishly. “My stomach wasn’t feeling good, so I went home.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow, but Matthew maintained eye contact. “You went straight home?”

“Mh-hm. Papa even saw me, there was a bit of traffic, but I made it home,” Matthew replied without missing a beat.

Arthur stared into Matthew, as if trying to analyze his words for the slightest fluctuation of tone or a hidden meaning. Arthur exhaled deeply, before saying, “Why didn’t you tell me before you left?”

“Sorry,” Matthew muttered. “I didn’t think about it- but next time I will.”

“Are you okay? Are you still feeling unwell?”

“No, I’m okay. Must’ve ate something bad.”

“...Okay.”

Matthew stared a bit owlishly at Arthur, and the sense of confusion set in him. That’s it? Arthur isn’t going ask him anything else? Gilbert skipped too- didn’t Ms. Khemet mention this to Arthur.

“Okay,” Matthew replied unsure, as he dropped his bag beside Alfred’s near the couch so that he can have easy access to his work at the dining table.

He trailed along the hallway to go to his room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yeah before i forget, how do you guys feel if I were to write mildly explicit content for this fic?


	26. *Blushes*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS CHAPTER IS LONG HOLYY.
> 
> But I don't want to keep the chapters short (unless you guys prefer that I split the chapters so it tackled each day). I also realized I talk a lot in these chapter notes, so I'll keep it short and sweet.
> 
> Either way, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Thank you so much for your words of encouragement and support, and I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Most students would rather not be in the library on any given day, and especially not during their lunch period. Monday especially was a dreaded day, and students would push off studying for another day.

It didn’t help that it was Halloween that day, and every student would take the opportunity not to wear their uniform- Matthew himself decided to be a vague serial killer by wearing a Toronto Leafs jersey, and an old goalie mask that had fake blood splattered in one side, courtesy of Alfred, who was equally as stoked about Halloween as Matthew. Alfred had decided he was going to be America’s sweetheart, Captain America, and somehow transformed the crappy store bought costume to look decent by adding some things here and there.

Arthur, on the other hand, was not too keen about the holiday, and when asked that morning why he didn’t dress up for Halloween, he pointed down to his usual outfit of a khaki pants and tucked in collar shirt, saying “Can’t you tell? I’m dressed up as an English teacher.”

There was usually an event at the school on Halloween, located in the foyer- the student council would host a sort of costume contest, and students would get their photos taken to be placed in the yearbook.

Matthew hadn’t seen the rest of his group yet, but he assumed they were all going to be dressed up as well. He wished he could have been with them.

But instead, Matthew was in the library. Sitting at the reception, on the somewhat comfortable chair, all alone.

Mrs. Khan, the main librarian, didn’t task him with anything important that lunch period, and told him to take care of the returned books. If there were any returned books.

Key word: _if._

And of course, there isn’t any returned books, the after school students usually take care of it since most students would rather quickly drop their books off on the way to their dorms.

Occasionally, a student would come by to hand some change after using the printer (what, a private school couldn’t afford to give out free printing?), but other than that, Matthew sat on the comfortable chair ay the main desk.

He was reading the new book assigned for French, _Un hiver de tourmente_ by Dominique Demers. It wasn’t that long, and it should have taken him at least a few days to really get through it, but, when his phone is sitting in front of him, he felt more enticed to drop his book and start messaging.

Messaging Gilbert. Of course. He had just sent Matthew a picture of himself in his costume- apparently, Elizabetha helped with the whole vampire attire after finding out one of the prizes was a giftcard to a store, and Matthew had to admit, he looked pretty cute in his outfit. He especially liked how tight the black pants were on him, and the old school formal attire actually suited him. 

The group chat with his friends would be empty because they were all hanging out together, so who else could he bug?

Although, Matthew has begun to worry about whether he has become more transparent with how he felt about Gilbert.

Kiku kept his word, and didn’t bring up Gilbert at all. But, really, the attention was not exactly on Matthew and his apparent “special relationship” with Gilbert.

Now Alfred was the one that was in the spotlight, and it was all thanks to him apparently dating Michelle.

Matthew still calls it “apparently” because he’s mostly suspicious about their relationship. Sure, maybe Alfred did like Michelle, but it would’ve taken him a while to talk about her.

Feliciano and Yong Soo had their suspicions especially. They even made a separate chat from the main group that included Tino, Emile, and for some reason Yong Soo’s cousin, Leon. This chat was originally for Feli and Yong Soo to chat about Matthew and his little thing with Gilbert without Alfred getting riled up over it, and it evolved into a subgroup of sharing even more niche things they all liked that the main group would not appreciate. Though, mostly Matthew wonders if it were just for Feliciano and Yong Soo to talk about their conspiracies and complain about their lack of a love life.

Alfred told a few of them about what happened, and by Sunday, everyone knew- and thus came the confusion and questions from Feliciano and Yong Soo directly to Matthew.

 **Feliciano** : maTTHEW WHAT IS THIS WHY IS ALFRED DATING MICHELLE

 **Yong Soo** : WTF IS THIS SHIT

 **Matthew** : Idk don’t ask me, he didn’t tell me anything! >_<

 **Leon** : Alfred is dating Michelle? Damn...if they run for president during year 4, they can be like Bill and Hillary Clinton

 **Matthew** : please don’t compare Alfred to Bill Clinton- he can’t play the sax, he only knows the recorder :^)

 **Emile** : ...Huh. Guess Yong Soo was wrong about him then

 **Tino** : :( aw I really thought he liked Kiku though….

 **Yong Soo** : no no no, I am def not wrong

And the man does like Kiku, idk why he says he does’nt!

 **Leon** : *doesn’t

 **Yong Soo:** stfu don’t correct my english

But Michelle though? I wouldn’t have thought

 **Tino** : why not

She’s super nice and outgoing

 **Feliciano** : And beautiful *heart eyes*

 **Leon** : They’re the same, so I guess they complement each other

 **Matthew** : I guess but, idk, I felt bad for Kiku though…

 **Yong Soo** : this wouldn’t have happened if Hyung wasn’t so stubborn and admitted his feelings to himself!

 **Matthew** : how did he take the news?

 **Leon** : We were all in the same room when Yong Soo and Kiku got that message...never seen him look so disturbed

 **Tino** : Yeah, Matt, Kiku didn’t even eat the salmon I made and he looooves salmon :’(

 **Feliciano** : I wish I was there at the dorms poor Kiku….

 **Yong Soo** : I was shook when he didn’t eat

That man loves fish

 **Leon** : shook?

 **Yong Soo** : I heard this guy say it in the hallways and it resonated with how i feel

Shook

What are we going to do?

 **Emile** : One thing you guys def are not gonna do is break them up

Even if Kiku likes him (which we don’t know), we shouldn’t ruin something so they can end up together

 **Yong Soo** : *rolls eyes*

 **Emile:** If Kiku wasn’t too much of a wuss to admit his feelings there could have been something

 **Leon** : it’s not that he’s a wuss, he’s just really reserved and doesn’t like to admit if he likes something

He especially hates talking about his feelings

 **Tino** : Hmm reminds me of someone

 **Feliciano** : @Matthew

 **Matthew:** I talk about my feelings tho...

 **Yong Soo** : did you and gilbert skip on friday

 **Feliciano** : Did you give him head yet

 **Matthew** : what.

Why

 **Yong Soo** : he didn’t say no

 **Tino** : Matthew, you whore :D

 **Matthew** : how am i a whore idek what you guys are talking about

NO FELI I DIDN’T GIVE HEAD

 **Yong Soo:** DKM TINO

 **Emile** : you all are nasty

 **Leon:** What's head

And that’s the point where the conversation swerved- it was back to picking Matthew and talking about what they should dress up as for Halloween. Maybe it would make things easier on Matthew to tell them that he did have a crush on the boy. Then he can complain about it to them and get advice.

“Hey, can I take this out?”

Matthew glanced away from his phone to the source of the voice- it was Elizabetha, to his surprise. She was wearing a black witch costume with a skirt, accompanied with a big witch hat and black and orange striped songs. Matthew noticed that she was wearing a colourful eyeshadow and her makeup looked different from before, though it suited the whole aesthetic. He was surprised she decided to take the risk and not wear tights, especially when winter comes early to their area, but he can’t help but think that she looked really pretty in the outfit.

She was holding a few books underneath her arm, which Matthew realised were manga books. They were peculiar though- mostly because it had that shoujo feel to it, but there were two guys on the cover.

“I didn’t know you were here on Mondays!” Elizabetha said happily. “I like the costume by the way! Are you trying to be that guy..uh...Jason?”

“Nope, just a no name serial killer,” Matthew smiled, happy that he gets to talk to someone. Over the course of the past few weeks, from seeing her before Math class, intramurals, and whenever he was around Gilbert outside of class, Matthew got along with Elizabetha and talked to her more and more. He liked Elizabetha- she was always happy, and always joking around with Matthew. He started to feel comfortable with talking to her too, to the point that if he were alone and saw her in the hallway, he could say a quick ‘hi’ and hold a conversation with her.

He accepted Elizabetha’s card and scanned it. “What’s this book about?”

To this, he could see Elizabetha looking slightly nervous, but she also had a weird grin on her face. “It’s just a romance.”

“Looks nice,” Matthew replied as he held the scanner and started to flip through the pages to find the barcode.

“Yeah, well, it’s yaoi so I don’t think you would.”

“What’s yaoi?” Matthew questioned, and he could see Elizabetha trying to hold back her laughter.

“Just gay romance,” Elizabetha explains. “Guy like guy. Stuff happens. Again, I don’t think you’d be into that.”

“Why not,” Matthew replied, and he saw Elizabetha raise an eyebrow. “I don’t care- love is love, right?”

“Usually guys would be like, ‘whoa nah bro, I ain’t gay’,” Elizabetha mimicked an exaggerated version of a teenager boy’s deep voice, to which Matthew laughed. “Especially straight guys.”

“Yeah, well I’m not straight so,” Matthew replied, before catching what he said. He doesn’t usually say it outloud to other people. Then again, he knew Elizabetha long enough- he could consider them as friends at this point. There’s no harm letting her know.

What Matthew didn’t think about right away was that Elizabetha is close with Gilbert. And when he did, he realised his mistake too late, and then the internal panic settled in.

 _Shit, shit, shit!_ Matthew thought. _What if she tells him? That would ruin everything!_

“Yeah, I figured you wouldn’t be,” Elizabetha replied nonchalantly, leaning on the reception desk with one arm to prop her up.

“What...how…”

“Intuition,” Elizabetha said with a smirk, tapping her head. “I can tell if a guy isn’t straight from a mile away.”

Matthew’s panic started to dissipate as he chuckled at what she said, but it was still there. Maybe he shouldn’t worry too much- Elizabetha wouldn’t tell right? What good would that serve Gilbert?

Matthew replied, “No way you can.”

“Trust me, I can,” Elizabetha replied. “Show me a picture of a guy, and I’ll let you know if he’s into guys or not.”

“I don’t believe you,” Matthew replied.

“Okay, but there are other ways to tell. Like, if they dated a guy.”

“That’s maybe the only obvious thing,” Matthew laughed at her ridiculous comment, and Elizabetha seemed amused with their conversation.

“Okay, maybe I over exaggerated it,” Elizabetha admitted. “But shouldn’t you know if a guy’s gay or not?”

“My gaydar is off,” Matthew joked. “I need to get it fixed- I’m having a hard time finding out if guys are gay.”

“Yeah? Is there a guy you like?” Matthew could feel the tips of his ears turning red, and he could see that Elizabetha was trying to read into his soul. He felt that she might somehow know that he had a crush on Gilbert, but he can’t tell her of all people, as much as he trusted her. She is Gilbert’s closest friend, and would likely tell him if he admitted his feelings.

“No,” Matthew now said in a lower, more cautious voice, the word stretching a bit. “I don’t.”

Elizabetha raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

“I don’t believe you for a second, Matt,” Elizabetha replied. “I think you do have a crush on someone. Who is it?”

“No one,” Matthew mumbled, glancing away slightly, not liking the feeling he got from looking at her directly. He could see her head tilting slightly.

“Hm...Let me guess….is it…” Matthew held his breath in, hoping she would get it wrong, but he can tell that she was faking her curious voice.

“Kiku?”

 _That’s my brother._ “No way.”

“Emile?”

“No.”

“Ludwig?”

 _Wrong brother._ “Nooo.”

“One more guess…” She paused, and he could see her trying to hide her smile. “Gilbert?”

Matthew felt his heart stop for a split second when she mentioned his name, and he knew that his cheeks were starting to turn pink. He forced his voice out. “Why?”

“So you do like him,” Elizabetha nodded, and her calm demeanor made Matthew even more flustered.

“I do not!” Matthew sputtered to both statements, and now he can feel the tips of his ears turn red in embarrassment. It was one thing for his friends to call him out like this- it’s another when the friend of the guy you like calls you out.

“On Friday...when you guys skipped...Were you trying to find out if Gilbert had an ex-boyfriend?” Elizabetha said nonchalantly, her voice more softer.

Matthew felt his heart drop. Maybe Gilbert figured it out. And that’s why he told Eliza about his questions and he probably thinks he’s weird. “...He told you…”

A sudden image of Gilbert popped in his head, but instead of his usual smirking face, Matthew imagined his mouth curled downwards in disgust as he told Elizabetha about what Matthew asked on Friday. Matthew couldn’t stop his eyebrows from pulling together, his mouth forming a thin line, as he felt like he might get a bit sick.

“Man, Matthew, you’re too cute,” Elizabetha then said after a pause, and her smile still there but she had worry in her eyes, looking like she was going to hug him. “Gilbert is just an idiot who doesn’t understand anything about feelings, you know?”

 _Stay calm, Matthew,_ Matthew thought as he took a deep breathe, feeling slightly better.

“You’re not wrong,” Matthew mumbled, still embarrassed, but was more so confused over Elizabetha’s soft reaction. “...Why did he tell you?”

“Huh? Oh, he was just wondering why you were asking- don’t worry, he wasn’t weirded out,” Elizabetha replied. “I knew right away why you would, but I didn’t want to tell him- I wanted to make sure with you first.”

“You know, I'm not surprised you like him,” Elizabetha shrugged, her sly smirk on her face. “I knew the moment I saw you two together, and all those times while playing volleyball. All you do is stare at him, and get close to him. It’s sooo cute!”

“Am I that obvious?” Matthew had to admit defeat. There was no point in hiding his feelings from Elizabetha- he knew that he could read past him and figure him out quickly. She really has a knack for figuring things out. Or she’s just nosey and knows exactly what to ask.

Elizabetha stared at him, as if analyzing the situation, but she still had a glint of amusement on in her green eyes. She suddenly broke into chuckles, saying, “I can’t keep teasing you like this, I feel bad for not telling you from the beginning. You look so worried.”

“Huh?”

“I wanted to wait a bit before I told you that Gilbert is into guys,” Elizabetha hummed casually, twirling a strand of her brown hair. “Straight up gay.”

At that moment, Matthew felt like something heavy was lifted off his shoulders, and he felt that he could actually breathe. He couldn’t contain his smile as a fluttering feeling filled his stomach, and the giddiness from being anxious was replaced with that of excitement.

“He is?” Matthew asked, thought it was more of a rhetorical question. It was more so him repeating it to himself, allowing his brain to absorb this fact. _That means...I might have a chance with him..._

“Yeah, he doesn’t code like he is, huh?” Elizabetha replied, looking like she was thinking. “He keeps it pretty hidden though. I would never tell anyone, but you have a crush on him, so now you know you’d have a chance with him.”

Matthew smiles sheepishly, not saying anything, feeling a bit bashful and happy. He didn’t know how to describe this feeling of knowing that there might be a possibility that Gilbert could reciprocate his feelings.

Elizabetha smirked. “Now that you know Gil’s into guys, are you still curious about his ex?”

To this, Matthew had to contemplate a bit. Now that he knows that Gilbert is gay, was there a point in knowing who his ex was? Well, it might help him find out what kind of person Gilbert liked...

“Well,” Matthew mumbled to her directness. “Kind of...like what kind of person they were…”

“Hm..I don’t think Gilbert would care at this point,” Elizabetha said as her voice dropped and leaned closer, even though they were really the only two people in the area. “I’ll tell you since it will help you, but don’t mention you know if Gilbert ever decides to tell you. He’d probably kill me for telling you.”

Matthew nodded, a weird giddiness and anticipation welling inside of him as he leaned in.

“Do you know Lovino? He’s Feliciano’s brother and he’s a scorekeeper during our games?”

An image of the small Italian flashed through Matthew’s head, as he nodded. “Yeah…isn’t he in year 4?”

“Yeah...he’s lover boy’s ex,” Elizabetha continued.

Matthew didn’t know how to react to this fact. One thing that makes sense is that now Matthew could see why Lovino would roll his eyes everytime he talked to Gilbert. They must not have ended on the best of terms.

Lovino...from what he knows from Feli and how he saw him talk during the games, he seemed really out there, loud, and frankly, kind of harsh, tending to sprinkle in cusses here and there.

But he was handsome, Matthew won’t deny him that. He had a sculpted face and a pointed nose that makes him have an appealing masculine look. His big green eyes, although always squinted because he is usually glaring, was his most alluring feature, and just added to his already beautifully shaped face.

In comparison to Matthew, who was in the middle of going through puberty, and although managed not to look too awkward as he had during middle school, was a bit, well, not sculpted. He still had some of that baby fat on his face, making him look more cute than striking. The good thing is that with his growth spurt, he was around Lovino’s height (and he could grow more from here on), and his proportions started to look appropriate, but Lovino had that slimmer, fit figure that Matthew definitely did not have. Maybe once he started to play hockey, he’d be fit, but not how Lovino looked- he wouldn’t look petit.

Along with how Lovino looked, he was also outgoing, although not to the level of Feliciano, but much more than Matthew, especially with the female students. One thing Matthew has is a filter about what he chooses to say- Lovino obviously does not have one, and would say whatever he wanted. Matthew was quiet, not necessarily timid, but much more of a listener while Lovino, well...if something pisses him off, he would ramble like Feliciano.

Was that Gilbert’s type? They say opposite attracts, but knowing that he dated Lovino makes Matthew’s chances of reciprocation rather...bleak.

“What’s up? What are you thinking?” Elizabetha asked, having noticed Matthew concentrated face and sudden silence.

“Hm? Oh..nothing,” Matthew replied, pausing. “Why did they break up?”

“Oh,” Elizabetha said, looking slightly conflicted. “Well…”

“Sorry, I don’t mean to be nosey,” Matthew quickly apologised, realising how bad that question sounded. “Nevermind I said that…”

“It’s not...well, they were really quiet about them dating. So, I don’t know how they really broke up,” Elizabetha replied. “Nobody knew about them except for me, Basch, and Roderich. And…”

Matthew raised an eyebrow, wanting her to continue her sentence, but they heard the first warning bell ring, signifying that lunch was going to end in 10 minutes.From the library, it would take Matthew some time to go to his locker to pick up his gym clothes. And he assumed Elizabetha would have to take a trip to get to her locker as well.

“Aw man,” Elizabetha slightly whined. “I don’t want to go to class.”

“Same,” Matthew agreed, as he noticed Ms. Khan walking out of her little office towards the desk to dismiss Matthew.

“Do you have to go to your locker? Wanna walk together- I have to go to mine too,” Elizabetha asked, and Matthew nodded.

He picked up his bag, and started to walk away as Ms. Khan took his place at the desk. Conflicting feelings took over his head, as he silently listened to Elizabetha, not knowing what to do or say.

* * *

 

That night, Matthew and Alfred decided to go to Francis’, mostly because that was the ideal place to go for Halloween compared to the apartment- the atmosphere in the neighbourhood was much more festive, with the houses actually decorated and children toddling through the sidewalks in puffy jackets over their cute outfits to houses where they exclaim in excitment “Trick or treat!”.

Matthew heard about Alfred’s apparent win, along with another person’s that caused some sort of controversy amongst student. Feliciano said it was an older male student named Feliks decided to crossdress as a woman for Halloween- which made Matthew confused, because he didn’t see a problem with it, but apparently there were students who were annoyed at the fact that he won a prize, and there was even some outrage over it being allowed at the school.

Matthew figured that it was the person that said a quick hi (or it was more like _“Eliza, gurl, you look, like, totally hot in that!”_ ) to Elizabetha as they walked past the foyer towards the staircase. Elizabetha even referred to them as Feliks, quickly complimenting their outfit, before they sashayed away, with their little tote bag bouncing with every stride, along with another boy being dragged by his free arm.

Feliks was relatively tall, but he was much taller when he was wearing the black heels that he decided to wear. He was dressed in a long sleeveless white dress, with a slit that exposed most of his leg, and the neckline was low to show his chest, which seemed to be slightly contoured to look like he had breasts. Matthew didn’t know much about makeup, but he knew that Elizabetha must have gotten her makeup done by him- he was wearing the trendy makeup of lined nude lips, thicker eyebrows, and all that jazz that made him look more feminine. His blonde hair (which Matthew assumed was natural) was curled, and placed perfectly to look a bit like Marilyn Monroe’s.

Matthew wasn’t sure how he looked like when he wasn’t wearing the makeup that he did, but he knew he did a convincing job- Matthew wouldn’t have thought he identified as a guy if Feli didn’t bring it up.

 _“He did an entire dance routine to Britney Spears on his heels!”_ Emile had exclaimed in disbelief and amazement, and it was the first time Matthew saw Emile quite this passionate. _“How is that possible?! He was wearing 6 inch heels?”_

Alfred, on the other hand, didn’t mention it- actually, he didn’t really say much to Matthew’s surprise. He did make a joke about how he doesn’t need to spend his allowance on McDonald’s for the next few weeks, but he didn’t gloat as he would.

They passed through the roads of their neighbourhood leading to their house, looking around as jack-o-lanterns lit up the dark street and decorations fluttering with the wind.

When the two arrived to the house, to both their surprise, Francis had went out to buy a box of small candies and somewhat decorated their front lawn with decorations they stashed in the basement years ago.

Long strings of spider cobwebs lined along the railings and the short bushes on the lawn, with a fake bat hanging off the lamp that sat near their door. A good attempt for Francis, who didn’t do much around the house until that point unless he had to for basic maintenance.

They found Francis in the kitchen, a pumpkin on the table surrounded by newspapers, seeming to try to cut the pumpkin open and scoop out the insides.

Matthew and Alfred told him they’ll finish the jack-o-lantern that Francis was attempting to make, and they were tasked with handing out the candies to any young trick-or-treaters when Francis left for work.

Eventually, however, long after Francis left, Matthew mainly stood nearby the hallway leading to the front door, getting up from the couch to answer the tiny knocks on the door, handing out the candy with a warm smile.

Alfred was sitting by the kitchen table, hunkered over a thick textbook with his notebook open, furiously scribbling down chemical equations, which had Matthew almost go into shock.

Alfred was the type that needed someone to forcefully make him sit down in order to make him open his textbook- so to see his brother return from his shower in his pyjamas clothes to sit down at the table and willingly open his bag without Matthew saying anything was a huge shock. If Arthur witnessed this, he probably would have fainted.

“Are you seriously doing homework?” Matthew asked as he went into the kitchen to grab a snack.

Matthew does have some revisions to do, but thanks to the bulk of the work and assignments being done the week before, Matthew could afford to slack a bit.

“Hm…” Alfred mumbled, not taking his eyes away from the textbook. He started to squint slightly, looking as if he were deep in thought.

“Whatcha studying?” Matthew asked as he walked up to the chair that was opposite to Alfred.

“Chemistry.”

“Why?”

“‘Cause I have to,” Alfred replied sharply, sounding a bit stressed. Matthew tilted his head, a bit confused as to why his brother was being a bit harsh with his tone.

“No need to be harsh,” Matthew muttered, opening the wrapper of his snack, taking a bite, and he could see that Alfred was gritting his teeth at the sound of the crinkling wrapper.

“Dude, can you not fucking do that here?” Alfred snapped as he finally looked up to Matthew, his eyebrows furrowing in.

Matthew took another bite, and he squeezed the wrapper so it could make sounds. Alfred quickly leaned over, swiped the snack and threw it across the table.

“Calm down!” Matthew shook his head in disbelief.

“Stop making so much fucking noise when you eat then! I’m trying to study.”

“This is the fucking kitchen- if you want to study, go to your room!” Matthew said hotly, before stopping himself. He took a deep breathe, and continued, “Why are you stressing? We’re done with midterms and it’s Halloween- why are you studying like you got a test?”s

“Because,” Alfred huffed as he leaned back into his chair, both hands over his face, as he slid it down to his cheeks. He took a deep breathe, closing his eyes.

“Did something happen with Michelle already,” Matthew asked to lighten the mood, smiling, but he could hear Alfred sucking his teeth.

“No,” Alfred grumbled. “It’s….fuck….”

At this point, Alfred was exuding distress, and Matthew’s smile faded.

“What, dude?”

“...” Alfred didn’t answer, nor did he move, until he suddenly reached down to his backpack and pulled out stapled sheets out. He tossed it slightly in between himself and Matthew, before folding his arms and exahled deeply.

Matthew still frowned, not understanding, but he turned the sheet around to read the cover. It was Alfred’s science test that he had the week before, and Matthew opened the cover page to the marking sheet. Matthew widened his eyes when he saw the red ink glared back at him- a big, fat ‘F’, along with a ‘45%’ on the bottom. There was red writing scribbled, saying _‘SEE ME_ _AFTER CLASS’._

“I failed my unit test,” Alfred said miserably, putting his face downwards on his folded arms.

Normally, this shouldn’t be as big of a deal- Matthew was under the assumption that Alfred’s other marks should be decent, and if they were in public school, Alfred would not be failing.

And he would not be failing at their private school either (still assuming his marks are decent), but there’s one great problem; they were both on a full academic scholarship. The requirement to maintain said scholarship was to get an average much less than their entrance exam - an 80%-, but it was much harder to get said average, and it was based on each semester. A single “bad” mark could easily screw up Alfred’s average for this semester.

“But, you’re doing good in everything else, right?” Matthew asked, and Alfred’s silence made his heart sink.

“I fucked up my last unit test,” Alfred replied, looking up slightly. “Got a 60 on that one. And the one before that one….”

“But, still, you’re getting a good mark in gym,” Matthew said. “And you should be fine in your tech class-”

“I’m doing so okay in Spanish either,” Alfred said, still sounding solemn. He then lifted his face up, glancing down to the table. “I...I don’t know man, it’s just Science is dragging me down.”

Matthew didn’t know what to say. They finally got to see each other more consistent basis than they did for the past two years. After returning to 7th grade together for only a month, Matthew moved back in with Francis regularly based on the agreement their parents made, and Alfred had to change schools so it was easier to travel from the apartment where he would be staying regularly.

Arthur is making a lot as a teacher, sure, but it’s mostly going into rent and necessities. Francis barely made enough as a bartender to pay utilities every month and buy basic necessities. Neither of them, even if they pooled in money, could afford to send Alfred to this school in the case he lost his scholarship.

Could he get a sports scholarship? Possibly, but he would have to apply for one next year. Would they be more lenient on him? He does participate in sports and extracurriculars. They might not pull all of his scholarship, but it was a catch 22.

“Bro, what’s with the face?” Alfred said, breaking Matthew away from his thoughts.

Matthew didn’t try to hide his worry- what if Alfred loses his scholarship and he goes to a public school while Matthew continued at RIA? That would cause more of a separation between them- they tend to stay over more and more because they go to the same school. They’ve been around each other much more because they go to the same school, and they knew more about each other’s daily life than they did while they were living more separately during the 2 years.

Matthew could lose all that because of Alfred’s marks. And he really didn’t want that.

Middle school was lonely without Alfred. And even if he had friends in this school and Alfred was not his only friend anymore, he knew there would be something missing in his life. They won’t share the same life much anymore...and that might cause them to drift apart.

“What are you gonna do?” Matthew finally said.

“Mr. R said I could retake the test tomorrow to get a better mark,” Alfred replied, and a crooked smile appeared on his face. “That’s why I’m studying so hard.”

To this, Matthew was relieved. At least Alfred had some way to not get kicked out.

“Oh...sorry for annoying you. I’ll let you get back to studying,” Matthew replied, getting up. “Guess we won’t have a late night horror marathon?”

“...No bro,” Alfred said, sounding disappointed himself. “No can do.”

“Okay,” Matthew sighed, when he heard a light knock from the front door.

***

Days went by, and the uneasiness of Gilbert somehow discovering Matthew’s crush on him dissipated. Thought, Matthew made no attempts to hide his admiration of the young boy, Gilbert didn’t talk to him or treated him differently, which was a good thing- but it left Matthew being confused about his feelings.

On one hand, he wanted more than what Gilbert gave him. He wanted more than just friendship, he wanted much more than to be close pals. He knew he wanted Gilbert’s lips on his and he knew he wanted to hold his hand to keep him closer, and Matthew had to fight so hard not to say “I like you” everytime Gilbert would smile at him.

On another hand, the conflicting feeling of leaving their relationship as is persisted, rooted in the fear of rejection and damaging their relationship. Yes, he might have a chance with Gilbert, but that’s all it was- a chance.

Gilbert treated him fairly similar to how he treated his other friends, and Matthew knew the things his close friends likely knew, except for his persistent smoking habit.

Him discovering answers just led to more questions about Gilbert. He knew about his ex, but does that mean Gilbert has a type of guy that he would like? If he did, then Matthew’s chances are slim. And if he didn’t, compared to all the guys at the school, would Matthew be an option?

Matthew finds himself lying awake in his bed, fantasizing about his stupid crush, and his feelings just grows every passing night. Even more so than his own feelings is what Elizabetha said to him the day after Halloween.

 _“If you want Matthew, I could find out if Gilbert likes you_ ,” she had said, during lunch while Matthew was on his way to meet up his friends. “ _I won’t tell him how you feel...but I’ll ask and let you know.”_

 _“Okay, if you think you can,”_ Matthew had agreed after outweighing the pros with the cons, and entrusted Elizabetha to find the information. She promised to tell him by next week, not wanting to make Gilbert too suspicious. With the way Gilbert was behaving as his usual goofy self, Matthew knew Elizabetha must not have said anything to Gilbert.

The voting day for the first year reps were decided that week on Friday, and to the surprise of no one, Alfred and Michelle snagged the position by a landslide.

With congratulations from their friends, Alfred and Michelle decided that they should go out after school to celebrate- when really, it was just an excuse to go on a date, as Yong Soo joked about. Kiku didn’t say anything during the conversation, instead opting to read a book.

Word got around about Alfred and Michelle being together right away, mostly due to them being together a lot more and the heteronormal assumption that they were dating. Word even landed on Arthur’s ears, as Matthew would discover Friday evening when he got to the apartment alone, without Alfred.

“Is he with Michelle?” Arthur asked without missing a beat from his usual place on the sofa, switching channels on the TV. “His girlfriend?”

Matthew found the word girlfriend to describe Michelle as being weird, but he just said yes before escaping to his room, not wanting to talk about his brother’s love life.

He couldn’t escape the questions for long- because right after he came out of the bathroom from a shower, Arthur attacked him with questions from the dining table, where he was fixing himself tea and a snack.

When did he ask her out? How long have they been dating? Where did they go today? Michelle is a nice girl, but why did she agree to go out with Alfred of all people?

To which Matthew replied “ _last week_ ”, “ _only a week_ ”, _“I don't know, maybe Burger King_ ”, and “ _I know right. Why does she like Alfred?_ ”

“His grades better not be slipping,” Arthur suddenly noted, making Mathew feel slightly anxious. He was sure Alfred hid his marks from Arthur- maybe this was a fatherly offhand comment?

“I doubt it,” Matthew said with confidence, continuing to stare at the show on the TV, not wanting to sell his brother out. Alfred managed to get a much better mark with his retest, but he would have to get better next time to keep his average afloat. “He’s getting good marks.

“Mhmm,” Arthur hummed, peeling the skin from the apple he had in hand with a small knife, and the tone he has was that of someone who knew Matthew was lying. “Even in Science?”

Matthew bit his bottom lips, trying not to make his voice fluctuate. “I don’t know- I didn’t ask.”

He glanced over for a split second, and Arthur was sticking his tongue in his cheek, starting to slice the the apple in halves.

“You sure? Because Krishna talked to me and he said that Alfred had to take a retest on Tuesday,” Arthur replied, and Matthew could feel his stare.

“Hm, really? I didn’t know,” Matthew maintained his fake story. He could hear the sound of the apple being sliced stop, and the knife touching the wooden table.

“You know I can tell when you’re lying, right Matthew?”

A beat, and Matthew gulped. His voice cracked, and he was too scared to face his Dad. “I know.”

“And I know that you didn’t go straight home on Friday,” Arthur continued. “You were hanging out with Gilbert, weren’t you.”

That came out more of a statement, and Matthew froze, knowing that he was in deep trouble. In the back of his mind, he knew that Arthur was going to find out eventually- he just wasn’t prepared.

Matthew didn’t respond, keeping his mouth closed.

“Is he making you do anything? Like, I don’t know…” Another pause. Why does his Dad have to say things dramatically? “Smoking?”

Of all the things he could have said, why did he pinpoint on that? Matthew replied with a low “No…”

“Really?” Arthur asked, and Matthew could tell that his eyebrows were raised. _Try again_ , is what he sounds like he’s saying.

“Yeah...nothing like that ever happened before.”

“...Want to tell me why I found a packet of cigarettes in your backpack, then?”

Matthew finally turned around slightly to look at Arthur, the tension in the atmosphere making it hard for Matthew to keep his guard up. At first he didn’t understand- what packet of cigarettes? Matthew was nowhere near being a smoker- he’s never tried it before, so why would he have a packet in his bag?

“Oh.” Matthew realised what Arthur was talking about. The cigarette packet that he took from Gilbert weeks ago. He had slipped it into a small compartment of his bag that he rarely uses, and completely forgot about it. He let his eyes wander accidently, and Arthur was staring at him, with narrow eyes, as he started to approach the couch with a bowl of sliced apples in hand.

Anxiety started to build up in Matthew as Arthur continued to wait for his answer. How was Matthew supposed to explain this? Already Arthur doesn’t like Gilbert and Matthew tried his hardest to make him sound better than what he was apparently like before- how was he going to explain Gilbert’s attempt at recovery?

“Do you know how bad smoking is, Matthew? Didn’t you learn it at school?” Arthur continued, his voice getting slight higher, and sharp. “You could get lung cancer and end up in the hospital! There were a few missing from the packet- how long has this going on?”

“I….that….it’s just…” Matthew started to feebishly mumble, glancing down towards the table.

“I can’t hear you,” Arthur said as he leaned against the wall nearby. “You’re mumbling.”

“It’s...it’s a long story…”

“Yes, well, I have time,” Arthur replied as he picked up an apple slice from the bowl and took a small bite, not breaking his stare.

“Okay...um...I...told him I’d hold onto it,” Matthew replied quickly, wanting to so badly not to be there. “Because he’s trying to quit smoking….”

“So he’s still doing it?”

“No, not right now but-”

“What do you mean not right now?”

Matthew inhaled sharply, and paused. _Calm down...you did nothing wrong....just explain..._ “He did it before, but he hasn’t for a month now…I was just trying to help him…”

“If he wants help, he should seek a professional. Why is he depending on you?”

“H-He...I just wanted to help....”

“What makes **you** think you can help him?” Matthew noted the sharpness in Arthur’s voice, and he felt a lump form in his throat. Curse his sensitivity.

“I’m his friend…”

“Really? What friend makes you miss class?”

“He didn’t make me,” Matthew found a steady voice, despite the growing harshness in Arthur’s voice that made him worried that Arthur would actually scold him. “I did it because I want to.”

“Excuse me?”

“...I wanted to skip class,” Matthew repeated, thought a bit quieter. He glanced up at Arthur, and there was an emotion on his face that made it hard to tell what he was thinking. Arthur had his eyebrows pulled in, as if angry at Matthew. “I...he said that if I wanted to, he’d come with me...so I did....”

“Do you think that’s acceptable? Skipping school is acceptable,” Arthur said after a pause, as if processing what Matthew had just said. There was a slight inflection in his voice, as he continued, “And why with Gilbert?”

“Because he’s my friend-”

“Is that how you really feel about Gilbert?”

Matthew swallowed a bit of saliva, his throat drying, feeling his heart pounding. He felt cornered...what was Arthur trying to gain with this conversation? His eyes began to wander around the room, his nervousness making it hard to come up with a sentence.

“I-"

“Did he say that he would quit smoking for you?” Arthur interjected before Matthew could continue. “Did he promise you?”

Matthew remembered the incident that led to the cigarette pack being placed in his bag. They were in the hallway, trying to think of ways for Gilbert to distance himself from his habit.

 _“I could go out and buy another packet...I could easily smoke behind your back,"_ Gilbert said, hazy eyes looking at Matthew, waiting for a reaction.

 _Matthew then asked, “But you won’t...will_ you?”

_“I won’t.”_

_“Really?” Matthew asked, doubt in his mind._

_Gilbert placed a hand over his heart, and replied, “You have my word…”_

_"When I promise something, I intend to keep it."_

“And your concern for Gilbert obviously exceeds that of a friend.” Arthur finished what he was saying, his voice growing a bit weary. 

“I..” Matthew could feel the blood rushing to his face. He couldn’t find the words to argue back.

Arthur didn’t look satisfied, and instead looked slightly distressed when Matthew didn’t say anything to his last point.

Matthew didn’t know what took over him, but he suddenly said in a clear voice, “So what if I like him?”

Silence.

A deafening silence ensued. Arthur looked stunned, and Matthew continued, in a slightly shaking voice, “He didn't make me do anything. I care about him so I agreed to help- that’s it. He’s not like what you think he is. He’s a good person. He’s trying to change-”

“People can say they are changing just to please people. That doesn’t mean they would,” Arthur sighed, as he walked up to the sofa opposite to Matthew. He looked like there were a million things running through his mind, trying to find that one particular sentence to say.

“Whatever…” Matthew mumbled out of frustration from hearing the same thing from Arthur over and over. Why is it hard to believe that people could change?

“It’s not whatever,” Arthur said quickly. “Matthew...you’re only 14. And you want to get into a relationship where he would be dependant on you control his habits so he could be stable?”

“He doesn’t depend on me like that,” Matthew replied, not understanding why Arthur was worrying about all these things. “And we’re not in a relationship. Why are you worried about my friend? You’re never worried about Alfred’s friends-”

“Because you’re my son and I don’t want you to be with someone who might push you into anything,” Arthur finally exclaimed, his voice much fuller, making Matthew close his mouth tightly. “Can’t a father worry about his son? I worry about Alfred too, but your friend has a troubling background. I…”

Arthur took a deep breathe. “I trust your judgment, Matthew. And if you think that Gilbert is a good person, and you like him, then so be it. But why did you lie about being sick in Friday?”

“...Because I knew I’d get in trouble anyways,” Matthew admitted, not realising he was pouting slightly and slouching like a child.

“And you didn’t skip to...do anything like smoke?”

“No, I didn’t,” Matthew replied, glancing over to Arthur after his eyes wandered around the living room.

“Then why did you?”

“Because I wanted to.” Arthur’s frown deepened, and Matthew suddenly felt guilty. His head hurt slightly, and his stomach churned. His Dad didn’t look angry- instead he looked a bit solemn, like he was hurt.

He was his dad after all. Arthur had every right to be worried about Matthew being around Gilbert, after knowing what he was like before. He was worried that Matthew would turn out like that- not caring about life and failing school. Be difficult and angry at the world.

But that’s not Gilbert anymore. Maybe he was still ready to fight anyone who talked shit, but when Matthew met Gilbert, he wasn’t any of the things Arthur talked about. Gilbert was just broken and trying to heal. He was just trying to do better.

“Are you angry?” Matthew asked after Arthur continued to stare up.

“No. Well...slightly,” Arthur said, his voice much smoother. “I’m more disappointed that you would skip class. I didn’t expect you to do that.”

That hit Matthew much harder, and the guilt swelled. _Sorry_ , he wanted to say, but his mouth couldn’t form the words.

“You’re grounded for the week, by the way,” Arthur continued, holding his hand out, and the distress that was on his face was replaced with his usual serious look. “No TV, and unless it has to do with clubs or school, no hanging out with friends. Call your Papa and tell him that you’ll be with me until Friday. Make sure you tell him exactly why, because I’m sure you fibbed to him about being sick.”

“I have hockey tryouts this Wednesday afterschool,” Matthew replied, trying to find a loophole. “Is my equipment in the storage?”

“Yes, it’s still there, and you can go to the tryouts, but you have to call me when it’s done,” Arthur replied. “And no phone once you get home for the week. Starting now.”

Matthew didn’t hesitate to hand Arthur his phone, although he did so begrudgingly, with an evident frown on his face.

“I expect that you won’t make skipping class a habit,” Arthur continued, raising an eyebrow. “And it won’t look good if your friend skips with you. Do you understand?”

Matthew nodded.

“You can date and like whoever you like,” Arthur spoke suddenly. “I just want you to date someone who’s good. That’s all I care about, Matthew, okay? And if it’s Gilbert, and he has changed, then...I trust you will be responsible and not do anything bad.”

“Okay,” Matthew replied in a soft tone.

“Also, if you’re going to have sex-”

“Nope, nope,” Matthew immediately turned around, towards the bowl of the sliced apple pieces. Luckily, the door opened before he could hear Arthur say anything, and footsteps entered.

“Alfred! Where have you been?” Arthur asked, as there was shuffling at the front.

"Went out for Burger King. Why?" Alfred responded, his voice chipper as always.

"Who did you go with?" And thus, Arthur asked Alfred the question about his new girlfriend. 

He never asked Alfred's failing marks, nor did he mention anything about Matthew's infatuation and his skipping episode.


	27. Uno

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't realise it's been nearly a month since I've updated, but here we are- new chapter, new progress. I tried to edit it, but it's late where I am atm, so I'll try to edit it asap.
> 
> Thank you guys so much for the support from the last chapter, it means alot that you guys are enjoying this still! I don't want to talk too much, and without further ado, enjoy!!

When Elizabetha insisted on Gilbert staying over at the dorms with herself, Roderich, and Basch on Friday to discuss some “matter of utmost importance” (her words), he didn’t have much concern about what would happen.

The student dorm that Elizabetha lived in was a co-ed one, and although the building separates the wings for male and female students, it was much less strict with the opposite sexes being around one another in bedrooms than the segregated dorms, even after the supposed curfew. Last year, if they all hanged out late, Gilbert would have to trek with Roderich and Basch to another part of the neighbourhood to reach the all boys dormitory the two lived in. 

Maybe it was less strict because most of these students tended to be older students- there were no first year students that lived there, and although his friends were the few youngest that lived there, they were considered by their teachers responsible enough to live there without causing trouble. However, it may be due to how, no matter how much they attempt to enforce a subtle celibacy and abstinence policy, students would find a way to be with one another to be with whoever they were with, and at this point in their life, they tend to want to take more responsibilities without being controlled by the dorm matron. 

The matron must have been going to a midlife crisis as of late- Eliza talked about how the matron was giving advice to her and other curious girls on the basis of relationships, and she wished she “went out and fooled around”, and told the girls that if they were to do something with any of the boys, they better do it safely. She even put out a basket of condoms at the front desk of the dormitory for students to use, something that is surprisingly not done at the school often.

Gilbert agreed to stay over at the dorm, and after telling Alaric the night before (who surprisingly said that it was fine), he carried an extra set of clothes when he went to school.

That week had been a fun week- beginning with Halloween that Monday, there was no pressure to finish anything because a summary report is mailed to parents, while students looked at their marks in person.

Gilbert was surprisingly passing all of his classes with average marks that he was completely satisfied with. Though, he knows that Alaric would be a bit more uptight about his math mark, he was cleared from the barely passing zone, which helps keep Alaric from lecturing him as much.

At this point, Gilbert got into a habit of doing homework and studying for that stupid subject, dedicating enough time where he didn’t really need Matthew to teach him as much. Though, that doesn’t stop him from doing the work with Matthew, and asking questions about a problem even though he knew how to get the answer, and played slightly troubled so that they could hang out alone.

Gilbert craved being around Matthew, and at this point, he was sure that his attraction has become clear, but he felt a slight feeling of despair. 

Elizabetha didn’t reveal how exactly she planned on finding out about Matthew’s sexuality, and the anxiety of waiting for her to tell him built up inside of him all through the week. Listening to Matthew as he talked in that soft tone, and hearing that laugh that would start with a muffle until it got louder whenever Gilbert made a stupid joke filled Gilbert with feelings of excitement and anticipation. Thoughts, both pure and impure, would slip into his mind, watching that cute mouth move, and the way his big eyes fluttered at times, and it drove the German crazy.

How can someone be so fucking cute? How can someone leave him restless at night and craving their attention? Why did he like someone this hard without even knowing if he had a chance? It’s the worst thing a gay person could do to themselves- like someone who was straight.

By the time Friday came by, Gilbert was near ready to just tell Matthew himself after Math class without any help. He’s done it before with his ex- he can surely say it to this kid’s face.

“I think I’m going to go straight home today,” Matthew said when Gilbert asks if he wanted to hang out, as he closed his locker door, his back leaning against it.

So much for telling Matthew. Gilbert just nodded along, and he went along with Matthew to the foyer to meet up with Elizabetha.

“Stop smiling like that, you look like a creep,” Gilbert said to Eliza after she caught a glimpse of Gilbert staring at Matthew leaving through the doors.

“How can I not?” Elizabetha sighed, as she clasped her hands dreamingly, almost floating as they walked down the hallway to go to a different exit. “You look so in love.”

“Not love- it’s a crush,” Gilbert grumbled a reply. “What happened to Roddy and Vash?”

“They’ll meet up with us when we get there,” Elizabethat shook her head. “Something about a music contest Roderich wanted to do, and Vash was already with him, so they went ahead to talk with the teacher. They said they’d pick up some snacks on the way back.”

“Are you jealous that you didn’t go with him?”

“I’m not petty,” Elizabetha huffed as they exited the school and started to take a path that led through a small neighbourhood to her dormitory. She seemed to have noticed someone who was part of a group of people much further ahead, and her eyes widened in happiness. 

Gilbert followed her glance, and he mumbled, “Speaking of petty…”

“FELIKS!” Elizabetha called out, and a young man with a blond bob turned towards her, his skirt that was way too short swinging around.

Gilbert couldn’t say he was super happy that she had called the young Pole over, and he tried not to grit his teeth in annoyance when he heard his laugh.

“Heyyyy girlie,” Feliks called with a wave, bid the people he was talking to farewell, and started to walk down towards them, the slight clicking of the heel of his knee high boots clicking. He noticed Gilbert right away, and immediately flirtatiously waved, and said in a teasing voice, “And hello, good-looking. Haven’t seen you in awhile- you’re not skipping school again, are you?”

“No,” Gilbert replied flatly, but even if Feliks says this to almost every guy he talks to, his ego boosted slightly. At least someone calls him as he is.

“Eliza, did you use that conditioner I recommended you?” Feliks asked as he reached over and took a strand of Eliza’s long brown hair. “Your hair looks super silky!”

“Yes, and thank god I did,” Eliza sighed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “What are you doing by the way? I thought you’d be with Toris for rehearsals.”

“No, Toris is being all annoying,” Feliks replied, rolling his eyes. “So I decided to just go home.”

“Again?”

“Yeah, I know. Remind me to, like, tell you all about it later. Where are you two going?”

“Back to the dorms,” Elizabetha replied. She paused for a fraction of a second, and Gilbert could see that she came up with an idea when she asked, “To hang out. Wanna come?”

To this, Gilbert was taken by surprise, and he looked at his friend with wide eyes. The last thing he wanted to do is be around Feliks of all people- there was no room to ask Elizabetha about Matthew if he came. Gilbert wanted to protest, but before he could, Eliza continued, “You can even stay over tonight! It can be like a sleepover!”

“You know what, I think that’d be good for me,” Feliks said, nodding. “But I can’t stay over- Auntie wants me there early tonight. I think my dad might want to skype or someshit to check up on me-”

Feliks immediately walked up right next to Elizabetha and looped his arm around hers, and Gilbert suddenly became a third wheel as Feliks started to chatter, his valley girl twang annoying Gilbert at certain points.

By the time they got to the dormitory, Feliks had began to complain about what had happened between himself and his friend, Toris.

Gilbert only knows the basics of who Toris was- he was a Lithuanian boy in third year, along with Matthias, Lukas, and Feliks. He was around Feliks’ height (when the Pole wasn’t wearing anything heeled) with shaggy short brown hair that flowed below his ear, round green eyes, and tended to look constantly distressed when he is occupied with a task. Toris was the one who did the morning announcements, along with being head the Stage Crew that handles the assemblies and the musicals the school presents. Roderich always bitches about how was being too serious about timing and where people were while performing, though whenever Gilbert saw him with Feliks, he seemed to be easy going and cheery.

Many people who knew the two would be surprised that they got along well, although really, Toris just goes along with whatever Feliks says without questioning, and that’s likely why. Gilbert had to hand it to Toris- he was one of the few that stood by Feliks side last year after people spread gossip about him being gay.

Toris was probably the last person Gilbert would expect people to complain about- but Feliks tends to talk a lot about anyone, especially when they do something to piss him off.

“So like, remember how I said Toris has some crush on this Russian girl?”

“No, you never mentioned that,” Elizabetha replied as they entered through the doors to the front area of the dorms. There was a young man sitting at the front desk, and the sides leading to two open main lounges, where the pool table, TV, and computers could be found. They entered the left wing, which was directly under the floors where the girl students lived.

There were a few older male students there, all around the TV with a gaming console, but other than that the room was empty. Few empty red couches were further away, with coffee tables in between, along with a few long tables that could be used to study on.

“Girl! I thought I told you this,” Feliks whined loud enough for one of the students to glance over to them, but they returned to the TV. “He likes that Russian girl: Natalya!”

“No way.”

“Yeah way,” Feliks replied, popping his tongue slightly. 

“Hold up, hold up- I’m gonna go change into something comfortable. You guys wait here, and I’ll bring you guys up,” Elizabetha replied, gesturing to one of the empty couches. 

“What’s up Gilly?” Feliks asked, striding towards the couch as he tossed his bag to the side. “You missed me?”

“Of course I did,” Gilbert smirked, as he sat to the couch opposite of him. 

He may not be super fond of Feliks and they may not be as close of friends as with Elizabetha, but Gilbert admitted, at time talking to Feliks was fun. Their relationship was that of annoyance and pettiness, and it kept shit entertaining for Gilbert whenever they were left alone like this. “Who wouldn’t miss your annoying face once in a while?”

“My annoying face? Have you looked in a mirror lately?” Feliks quipped back, though he looked amused. He glanced around Gilbert and his eyes landed on his hands. “Like, dude, what’s up with your nails. Did you try to put nail polish on?”

“These?” Gilbert showed his hand out, and Feliks immediately took his hand to inspect. Elizabetha had attempted to put black nail polish on him a month ago, but the way she put it was messy, and the polish eventually cracked off. There were still some left, but Gilbert didn’t pay much attention to it. “Eliza did it.”

Feliks tutted, reaching for his bag. “I figured. Come here- I can’t let you go around with nails like that!”

“Why, what are you gonna do?” Gilbert asked, a bit hesitant when Feliks patted the seat beside him before going through his bag. As Gilbert sat down, Feliks pulled out a small bottle of clear liquid- he saw the words ‘Nail Polish Remover’ on a white sticker- and a cotton pad. God know why Feliks carries those around, but Gilbert didn’t try too hard to think about it.

“Gonna redo your nails,” Feliks replied, and without asking permission, lifting Gilbert’s hand a bit. “No need to thank me. I might need fo file these too- hold up.”

“Right now?” Gilbert asked, glancing around. The boys around the TV were still there, though their backs were faced towards Gilbert. 

He can’t help but feel slightly conscious. When Elizabetha painted his nails, she did it inside her room, away from anyone’s eye. Being out in the open for anyone to pass by and see Gilbert of all people getting his nails done made him nervous.

What if some shitty people in his year sees and spread gossip about him like they did with Feliks? Already people don’t like him as much- he had a bad reputation, but it was more of a bad boy kind (mixed with a bit of loser). 

He doesn’t need his sexuality being a hot new topic of discussion. They don’t even need solid proof to talk- if you show the slightest sign that you’re effeminate, people will talk. Nail polish is one thing he had that would be feminine, but it adds to his whole badass look. 

“Why don’t we wait till we go upstairs?” Gilbert asked. Feliks raised an eyebrow, before glancing around. “Where no one can see?”

“Why? They’re not paying attention,” Feliks replied, tilting his head towards the boys. He clicked his tongue, before continuing, “Fine, but at least let me take it off and file them.”

“You better make them look awesome when you’re done,” Gilbert sighed after a pause, admitting defeat, even if he was iffy. He hated to admit it, but even he couldn’t say no to Feliks’ plans- when the Pole is set on something, he will do it. 

“Like, don’t worry dude,” Feliks replied, pouring some of the nail polish remover in a pad, and started to wipe off the leftover polish from his fingernails. “I got you. Damn- your nails are actually nice! You got that slight C-curve! ” 

“What the fuck does that even mean?” Gilbert asked as Feliks pointed towards the free edge of his nails. 

“This curve your nails make- it makes a c shape! I wish I had those,” Feliks pouted, as he continued to wipe the nail. “I always have to wear fake nails because my nails aren’t even close to curved.”

Gilbert still didn’t understand the big deal over it. “So does that make my nails awesome or…”

“Yeah, I guess you can say that,” Feliks replied. “That might be the only thing you have going for you.”

“Douche.”

“Dick,” Feliks said with a smirk as he continued, until he placed napkins underneath his hand to start to filing the nails.

The sensation of the filing made Gilbert feel slightly weird, and he was worried that Feliks would file his actual finger.

“So…” Feliks started, his eyes still on the nail he was working on. “Natalya plays on your volleyball team right?”

“You mean Ivan’s sister, Natalya?” Gilbert asked, and he could see Feliks eyebrows slightly furrow in.

Another thing these two have in common besides their friendship with Eliza and their sexuality was the fact they can barely tolerate being around Ivan. Both for much different reasons, of course. For Feliks, it’s mostly because Ivan likes to push Toris around. For Gilbert, well...

“Yeah, what do you think about her?”

“I don’t know. She doesn’t talk,” Gilbert reply. “She just listens to whatever we tell her. Even in the Math class I have with her, she doesn’t talk except with Vash’s sister.”

“Lilli?” Feliks said with a small smile. “That’s, like, so weird though. I though Vash would be overprotective about that.”

“He is, but he can’t really do anything about it. The kid’s headstrong- apparently she would do whatever she wants to, even if Vash says not to.”

“Kudos to her, he’s soooo uptight,” Feliks said. “Anyways, back to Natalya. That’s all she’s like?”

“I don’t really notice her,” Gilbert shrugged. A slight pause. He could press further, the silence being uncomfortable, but he knew it was going to trigger Feliks to a rant. Most likely it had to do Toris. That’s why he’s snooping about and asking about Natalya.“Why?”

“Oh my god, so you know Toris right? How he likes Natalya- I just told Eliza that,” Feliks rapidly said. Gilbert was going to say something to stop him, but Feliks continued with skipping a beat.

“So like Toris had a thing for her for a while, but like, I don’t think she’s right for him. You know how you can just tell that two people shouldn’t be together? Yeah, so I was like ‘Toris, like, I doubt Natalya likes you, plus she’s like Ivan’s sister’, but he kept insisting that he might have a chance with her or whatever. At first when he talked about her and shit, it was fine because I thought it was just a passing feelings, because Toris catches feelings easily, but nothing too serious. But now all he thinks about is asking her out, and tries to hang out with her, but she clearly doesn’t pay attention to him. He doesn’t even pay attention whenever I talk to him, and is always trying to see Natalya, so I told him off and I’ve been ignoring him today.”

“And I care because?”

“Shut up and just listen while I complain,” Feliks scoffed. “Anyways, I don’t want to lose Toris to Natalya, and I definitely don’t like them getting together! She’s just not right for him, you know? And, like, it’s not that I’m jealous or anything, I don’t have a crush on him, that would be stupid, I just don’t think it was meant to be? I don’t get why he’s ignoring my advice, I’m just looking out for him!”

“Dude, don’t fuck up my nails!” Gilbert said quickly as Feliks’ filing speed increased, his anger and frustration over Toris’ neglect seeping through.

“Look, it’s fine,” Feliks mumbled, stopping immediately, and moving on to the next nail. “So, like, as I was saying before you rudely interrupted me-”

“Why don’t you do something about it instead of complaining me?”

Feliks tsked loudly, and said, “I haven’t complained for, like, a week. Can’t a boy complain about his problems?”

“Not when he doesn’t even come up with solutions to his problems,” Gilbert rolled his eyes, in which Feliks threatened to fuck up his nails badly.

Feliks continued to talk, which he tried to ignore, but soon after, there were a few guys who entered the lounge space. Gilbert didn’t recognize any of them other than being students that were likely older than him, but as soon as Feliks saw them, he started to lower his voice, mumbling his words slightly.

“This isn’t a fucking nail salon,” One of the boys commented to his friend as they passed the couch, just loud enough for Feliks to hear. “Faggot.”

“Good thing he doesn’t live here,” another one grumbled. “Who knows what that fag might do.”

“He’s lucky he’s on campus- otherwise…”

Gilbert could feel the blood draining from his face when he heard those words, before anger started to seep in. Anger from what they said, and over the fact Feliks became mute all if the sudden, pretending nothing is happening.

He balled his free hand into a fist, ready to stand up.

“Hey-”

“Don’t,” Feliks interjected in a sturdy voice, not bothering to look up, but gripped Gilbert’s hand slightly to keep him still.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Gilbert asked directly, as his the voices started to fade. How could he just sit there and take everything they say so passively?

Feliks shrugged, making Gilbert more pissed off. “You get used to it.”

“They just called you a faggot,” Gilbert replied, his fist still there. He heard doors open and closing, signifying they left. “And they basically threatened to hurt you.”

“They didn’t say it to my face. And they didn’t really say they would attack me-”

“It doesn’t matter. They implied it,” Gilbert replied. There was a slight pause, Feliks not responding, and Gilbert continued in a lower voice. “I thought you were out and about because you were proud of yourself. How can you let them say shit about you and not stand up for yourself?”

“I am proud of myself- that doesn’t mean I, like, would threaten my life over something they said,” Feliks sighed, finally making eye contact. “Have you ever seen me confront people directly whenever they called me names?”

Gilbert thought back to last year, when he first heard of the rumours about Feliks. He even remember words hurled at him, and quiet threats to beat him up if he even so glanced at a guy in the hallways. Never once did he see Feliks fight with them or defended himself- he was pretty quiet to the words. He continued to be his usual chatty self as long as he was with his friends; when he was alone or with another friend, he was mostly quiet, as if trying to stop bringing too much threatening attention to himself until he can get somewhere with more people he knows.

Feliks glossed lips turned upwards into a smirk, and continued, “And I’m not you, picking fights whenever somebody says shit about me.”

The implication of Gilbert’s past feuds with Ivan was clear, and Gilbert grumbled, “Yeah, well, he basically threatened someone close to me…”

“You mean your boyfriend,” Feliks voice dropped slightly, and Gilbert grimaced.

He really is nosey. Gilbert never would have told Feliks about his sexuality or his relationships- but the Pole figured it all out on his own without the help of Elizabetha (who kept her word and didn’t say anything to anyone). When Feliks first asked him about Lovino, when Elizabetha had left them alone in a similar situation they were in at the moment, he felt as if he were caught doing something illegal.

Luckily (or more like through solidarity), Feliks doesn’t talk about it a whole lot unless it was just them alone, and sometimes when Eliza is around.

“Ex.”

“Ex-boyfriend,” Feliks corrected himself. “That’s, like, so romantic of you, beating someone because of your ex.”

“That was only one time. And that fucker found out about us, and tried to use that against Lovino,” Gilbert said, a sharpness to his tone. “He got what he deserved.”

“But, like, wasn’t Lovino messing with Ivan,” Feliks asked, finally finishing his hand, and started with the other one. “Lovino’s always cussing and threatening people without thinking. Didn’t he have that kind of thing with Ivan?”

“Doesn’t matter- Ivan threatened to out him,” Gilbert said exasperatedly. “That’s what’s fucked up. That bastard manipulated him so that Lovino would be in the palm of his hand and do whatever he wants.”

“You kids, and your fights” Feliks sighed, making Gilbert roll his eyes.

“You’re the same age as them!” he nearly exclaimed. Even though Feliks was in his third year, he started attending the Academy a year later than most would, needing to retake certain first year classes- making him two years older than Gilbert.

“Yeah, but I’m, like, mentally much older,” Feliks hummed, receiving a slight cackle from Gilbert. Feliks then proceeded to say bluntly, “But your short temper was what ended your relationship.” A pause. “Are you and Lovi ever getting back together?”

Gilbert stopped his little laugh, and his smile fell slightly. He hasn’t thought about Lovino all that much since the start of the new school year. He has only seen him thanks to the intramurals and the rare visit to their house with his grandpa, but otherwise, the thought of getting together never crossed his mind.

He lamented about it right after they broke up, and during the majority of summer vacation where he would stay home and find himself thinking about reaching out to Lovino with a message. It wasn’t really until the end of August when he felt that he was actually fine being alone, and saw the situation between them clearly.

Neither of them were really ready for their relationship; more so the young German wasn’t ready at all. For Gilbert, it was his first serious relationship, and things got too real too soon for him. 

Maybe it was a wrong place and wrong time situation. Lovino was already ready for a serious relationship, knowing much about what to expect from his relationships, and those expectations were ones that Gilbert didn’t know how to reach. He was a bit too carefree, a bit too not worried about a lot of things that Lovino cared about. 

That, and with how short-tempered Gilbert used to be and quick to fight, while causing trouble here and there, and Lovino being equally feisty and fed up easily, they’re interactions could get a bit too intense, ending one not talking to the other for a bit.

They really did care and love each other, though. Gilbert still cares for the young Italian, but it was the kind of care you would have for a friend. He can’t ever imagine himself getting back together with Lovino.

Not when he already has someone who he wants to get with. Even if Gilbert is playing a risky game by letting himself get too deep into his infatuation, he couldn’t help but feel there was a possibility for reciprocation.

“No, that’s not gonna happen,” Gilbert replied, and Feliks smiled coyly, as if he was expecting to hear that.

“Then are you dating that blond kid I keep seeing you with?” Feliks asked, and Gilbert gritted his teeth. “Melvin? Maxwell? What was Kirkland’s kid’s name again? With the longer hair?”

Nosey, was all Gilbert thought, not answering.It should be expected that Feliks would try to find out who Gilbert likes- he thrives off of gossip and drama. It’s likely to compensate how boring and reserved his life must have been living in Warsaw under his control freak of parents.

“Matthew,” Feliks popped his lips. Gilbert felt the tip of his ears start to burn in embarrassment, and his silence gave it away easily to Feliks, who had probably set on that answer anyways. 

They heard the front door near the front desk open, and a voice could be heard mumbling. 

Gilbert glanced over, and smirked as Basch and Roderich approached them, taking their time. 

“You guys took long enough,” Gilbert greeted, as Feliks did a small flirty wave, going as far as winking at Basch, who rolled his eyes.

“We brought snacks just like Eliza asked,” Roderich replied, gesturing to his backpack. “Basch didn’t want to pay for a plastic bag.”

“Save the environment,” Basch said deadpanned. Feliks was done with his nails by then, and as he started to fold the tissue to put in the garbage, Gilbert got up, ready to follow the two boys to their side of the building.

As soon as he got up, Elizabetha emerged immediately after through the door she had gone through.

“Good, you guys are here,” she replied happily. “Just text me when you guys are ready to come up!”

Feliks followed Elizabetha to her dorm room, while Gilbert followed the other two to their room that they shared.

After taking their turns in the showers, and changing into something much more comfortable for the night, they all venture down the stairs to sit in Elizabetha’s room, leaving the door slightly open, as per the floor rules.

Elizabetha lucked out that year, and managed to not get a roommate, so they were no worries over how long the boys could stay hang out there. 

She was sitting on her bed, with Feliks behind her combing and pleating her hair to make a French braid. Roderich was sitting on the vacant bed opposite to them, while Gilbert sat on the carpeted floor, with Basch opposite of him against Eliza’s night stand, holding up a deck of UNO cards and a small towel hanging off his shoulder for his wet hair. The snacks they had snuck in were scattered near whoever wanted them, with their respective soft drinks in their hands.

“Are you guys, like, playing German UNO or regular?” Feliks asked from his spot, stopping momentarily to take a sip of his drink.

“German, of course- it’s more awesome,” Gilbert replied, laying back onto the small beanie bag behind him.

“No, no, let’s keep the first round casual,” Elizabetha said looking ahead as to not mess up Feliks’ work in progress. “I can barely pay attention at the moment.”

“Can we bet some money?” Roderich asked right after, as Basch started to separate the cards to each person in the room, excluding Feliks. “And winner takes all?”

“Fuck no,” Basch replied monotonously.

“I got no cash,” Gilbert added. “We’re not all rich like you, to throw around money!”

“Your grandpa is, like, the vice-principal of the school,” Feliks chimed. “He’s loaded!”

“Yeah, but he doesn’t give me much allowance to spend,” Gilbert grumbled. “Not like Roddy’s parents who gives him enough to eat out all the time.”

“I have specific taste buds!” Roderich retorted back, pushing glass back up. “I can’t eat this cafeteria food all the time!”

“Look, the only one who can complain about not having money is me!” Elizabetha exclaimed, rolling her eyes. “I’m the one here on scholarship!”

“You hustle money on the side,” Basch noted. “With those porno photos you sell.”

“They’re not porno shots!” Elizabetha insisted, a pink dusting her cheeks, and Feliks hummed a suggestively long ‘mhm’. “Just head frames-”

“Everyone is on Instagram now- why can’t they just stalk our photos on there?” Basch asked, finishing handing out the cards and placing the rest of the deck in the middle of the circle they formed. “It’s a waste of money.”

“I don’t do it anymore, you guys don’t have to worry,” Elizabetha huffed. “I’m past that part of my life.”

“Why did you ask us to hang out here, again?” Roderich cleared his throat, as he slid off the bed to sit in a semicircle with the other two boys on the floor.

“Aw, why not Roddy? Don’t ya want to hang out with us?” Gilbert teased, as he handed Elizabetha her cards.

“You better not peek at my cards,” Elizabetha threatened, and Basch flipped over a card from the deck.

“I don’t mind, but you were cryptic about it,” Roderich replied, as Basch started the round with himself.

Gilbert looked down to his cards and grinned- he managed to have two cards that would greatly help him. Hopefully Roderich would place down a blue card, and they can keep the round going with that colour.

Feliks finished, and tied Elizabetha’s hair, and allowed her to face towards the middle. “Vash, can I do your-?”

“Keep your hands away from my hair,” Basch snapped quickly, his eyes squinting slightly into a glare. Feliks just rolled his eyes.

“Fiiine. Gilly, let me paint your nails.”

“I asked to hang out because of Gilly-boy,” Elizabetha laughed, as Roderich played a card. 

“Don’t fucking call me that,” Gilbert snapped, but didn’t fight as Feliks wedged himself between Elizabetha and Gilbert, a black nail polish bottle in hand. “If you’re gonna do that, you better help me put the cards down.”

“Totes,” Feliks nodded, as Gilbert slipped a card slightly higher so Feliks could put it on the pile. “You sure you want to play that card? Why don’t you do this one?”

“I have an awesome strategy,” Gilbert huffed slightly, dismissing Feliks’ concerns. “I don’t need you telling me what I should put down.”

“Does it have to do with that guy Gilly likes?” Basch asked, his voice adding a bit of humour to his sentence.

Elizabetha grinned immediately, and used her cards to fan herself. “Maybe.”

“Ooh, spill the tea,” Feliks sung as he started to open the nail polish. The smell of polish started to fill the air, albeit lightly, and Gilbert glanced over to see Feliks swiping the brush in even, light black strokes.

“Wait, do you know who it is?” Eliza asked, and Gilbert could feel goosebumps starting to form on his skin, before warmth started to reach the nape of his neck to his ears. 

“Obviously it’s Kirkland’s kid with the long hair,” Feliks flashed a cheeky smile, his tone exasperated. “Matthew. Do you know how many times I see them in the hallways a few time, and Gilbert is, like, literally all up on him and flirting with him?”

“I know right?” Elizabetha said as she lifted her hands slightly, as if relieved that she wasn’t the only one who could see Gilbert’s clear interest. She gestured towards Basch and Roderich, “These two thought he didn’t like him!”

“How was I supposed to know? I thought he would like someone who was mouthy like him,” Roderich replied.

“I couldn’t care much,” Basch said, not hesitating to play a card right after Elizabetha. “Just as long as he doesn’t get into fights again like a dumbass.”

“You guys act like I’m not sitting here,” Gilbert scoffed, glaring at Basch’s play. 

The fucker changed the colour to yellow. Gilbert tried to pay more attention to his cards, while attempting to stop the obvious blush forming on his face as they sat discussing about his love life. Curse his pale skin- the slightest tinge of pink was incredibly obvious on him. They continued to play the game as they talked.

“We try to ignore you as much as we can,” Roderich replied without missing a beat, to which Elizabetha chuckled and Basch neutral expression broke, a hushed smile appearing.

“Fuck all of you,” Gilbert grumbled, picking up a card. At least the number matched, and he placed it down.

“I think you two would look so, so, cute,” Feliks added, his eyes brimming with excitement over a potential romance blossoming before his eyes. “I mean, like, they don’t have that big of a height difference because Gilbert is short as fuck, but Matthew’s cuteness just compensates for it...you know what I mean?”

“I know,” Elizabetha swooned. “And Gilbert is so protective of him and they always help each other out, it’s just so wholesome seeing them together and always being happy, it’s so frigging cute!”

Roderich coughed slightly, bringing the two back from their weird fangirling. “What did you want to say?”

“Right, right. I got the information we’ve all been waiting for,” Elizabetha proclaimed. “And more. Phase I and II of the operation is complete!”

“What operation?” Basch asked, his interest peaked at the word.

“The ‘Get Matthew and Gilbert Together’ operation,” she slightly whined, and Roderich shot a confused look at Basch, not understanding what she said. “C’mon guys, I explained everything to you before! Keep up!”

“I thought you were still on Phase I?” Gilbert asked, trying to maintain his voice so he didn’t sound too wanting of the news. “There’s a phase 2?”

“What’s this operation?” Feliks asked, and Elizabetha groaned.

“Let me explain it to you guys again,” Elizabetha replied, as she went through the operation plan. Phase I was to find out what Matthew’s sexuality was. Apparently, to Gilbert’s surprise, Phase II was meant to find out if Matthew liked Gilbert if Phase I was completed.

“Meaning,” Elizabetha said, looking directly at Gilbert, a weird smile trying to contain her excitement. “Matthew is not straight. He says he likes guys. And...drum roll please.”

Feliks started with a small thudding sound with his hand on his legs, before Roderich joined in. Basch didn’t join in until Elizabetha shot him a quick glare.

“Matthew does, indeed, like you,” Elizabetha replied, bringing her hands with her cards closer to her chest.

“Wha…”

“Matthew likes you back,” Elizabetha sung.

Gilbert couldn’t help himself. He placed his hand in the crook of his arm held up by his bent upwards leg, wanting to hide the look he knew he was wearing.

“Look at that idiot,” Basch scoffed, thought it was much more light hearted. “Look at his stupid smile. Good job Eliza, you broke him.”

“Awwwwww,” Feliks squealed, nudging Gilbert’s arm gently as to not ruin the fresh coat of polish. 

The excitement that had build up all this time was still present, but the anxiety Gilbert had felt previously suddenly disappeared and was instead replaced with a new feeling of happiness. He felt like he could finally breathe and relax, and he tried to keep his heart from pulsing, but there was newfound giddiness in his stomach that made him feel like he would burst.

“Want me to open a window for you?” Roderich asked as Gilbert finally stopped covering his face with his arm, red still ever so present on his face.

“He likes me?” Gilbert replied stupidly, his smile still in his face. “...Awesome...”

“That’s one way of saying it,” Basch replied nonchalantly. “Are you gonna ask him out now?”

“There’s no way Gilbert can ask him out over the phone,” Elizabetha replied, knowing full well what Basch implied. “He needs to ask Matthew out in person.”

“Why?” Basch shrugged. “Same difference. Just send him a message right now. Then you don’t have to wait.”

Feliks sucked his teeth, “That’s so, like, not cute. I agree with Eliza- Gilbert should tell Matthew he likes him and ask him in person.”

“He can barely say anything right now, when you tell him he likes him,” Roderich noted. “How do you think Gilbert would be able to say anything in person?”

Gilbert agreed with Roderich on this fact, but didn’t say anything.

“Okay well,” Elizabetha thought outloud, scrunching up her face. “First, Gilbert should ask Matthew out near the weekend, so they can meet up again outside of school for a date or something.”

“They can still go on a date after school...why does it matter?” Basch asked.

“Think about it. Everyone is tired after school and I doubt Matthew could go out,” Eliza shook her head. “No, he needs a time where he can just tell him so that Matthew has time to let it all sink in and they can talk about it later or the next day….”

“Should I just meet up with him tomorrow then?” Gilbert finally asked, already taking out his phone from his pocket.

“Yeah, you want me to message him?” Elizabetha asked as she took her own phone out and started to message Matthew.

“Are you sure you’re ready to ask him out?” Feliks asked. “I mean, you just found out he likes you...don’t you want to wait a bit and think about how you’re going to ask him?”

“I…” Gilbert stumbled over his words, not sure how to respond. “I mean-”

“He’s been ready,” Elizabetha replied. “All week, all he’s been thinking about is asking Matthew out.”

“Yeah...honestly, I’ve been meaning to ask,” Gilbert continued, his voice finally steady, but his heart was still pounding, and he knew he still had a goofy smile on his face. “I just wanted to know if he was into guys...I didn’t know he...liked me.”

He sort of sighed whimsically the last part, receiving a disgusted groan from Basch. 

“I feel uncomfortable seeing you all in love and shit,” Basch replied, throwing his towel directly at Gilbert’s face. Gilbert would usually cuss him out, but at the moment, he was just too happy to be angry or to talk back. 

“Okay so, an update,” Elizabetha interrupted, putting down her phone. “Matthew’s apparently grounded for the week. He got his phone taken away and can’t go out.  
I’m assuming it’s because Kirkland found out about your little rendez-vous last week.”

“If he’s got his phone taken away, how do you know that he’s grounded,” Roderich asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I asked his friend, Kiku, first about whether he knows Matthew’s free, and he heard it from his brother, Alfred,” Elizabetha shrugged. “I didn’t want to ask Matthew directly- he might think it’s weird if I ask for Gilbert.”

“Elizabetha is on some next level plan,” Feliks commented, to which Elizabetha smile.

“I think these things through. Anyway, he’d probably only be free by Thursday, minimum. But I have some good news: If you want to ask Matthew sooner, he’s going to be at the hockey tryouts on Wednesday. We can swing by and I’ll try to get you two alone so you have time to talk to him.”

“We’re gonna have a team practice on Friday,” Basch replied. “If Matthew passes the tryouts, he’ll be there.”

“The kid played hockey for a long time, so I’m sure he’ll make it,” Gilbert replied.

“Oh right, you play hockey,” Feliks wondered lightly, looking at Basch. “That’s hot. What’s your position again?”

“Bottom,” Gilbert whispered, and Elizabetha couldn’t contain her laughter as Basch took a pencil that was sitting on the drawer and threw it at him without hesitation.

“Goalie,” Basch grumbled as Roderich also started to chuckle at Gilbert’s shitty joke. “Can we get back to what Gilbert’s gonna do?”

“Right, so, maybe if Matthew isn’t forced to go home right after practice on Friday, you guys could hangout a bit and talk about it,” Roderich said. “If he’s not there on Friday, then you can even do it after school. Again, because you guys could have more time to yourselves without a time restraint.”

“I think you should do it on Friday, as Roderich said,” Elizabetha agreed, nodding along. “Gilbert- Do you think you can wait another week before?”

Gilbert took a deep breathe. He really had no other choice at this point. Thanks to himself, he couldn’t see Matthew other than at school. Even though they could probably see each other during lunch alone, Gilbert would prefer not to discuss about feelings in the middle of the day, only to see Matthew again in Math class and having to sit beside him.

“Alright,” Gilbert replied, nodding along. “I’ll wait till Friday.”

“We’ll talk about what you should say on Thursday- don’t think about it too much until then,” Elizabetha said happily, and Gilbert just hummed in agreement.

“By the way,” Basch replied as he suddenly picked up his cards and placed it down. “Uno.”


End file.
